The Nordeste territory in Murcia, Spain, has 59 districts, many are scattered settlements and some very remote. The remoteness of the area is a contributing factor in depopulation, and a lack of basic services compounds gender inequality and isolation. The Territorio Igualdad project consists of three LEADER sub-projects addressing different aspects of gender inequality and implemented by the Asociación para el Desarrollo Comarcal del Nordeste LAG of the Murcia region. The three sub-projects are ‘Women Protagonists of Rural Development’, ‘Flexible and Innovative Conciliation Services’ and ‘Smart Rural for Gender Equality’.

The LEADER funded Territorio Igualdad project aimed at promoting gender equality in rural areas by eliminating the barriers and obstacles faced by rural women.

The project began with the creation of a visual identity. The project’s website was used to: launch an Equality Network; send out newsletters, along with audio-visual galleries and; present a timeline of the 80+ planned activities. A news blog and social media accounts further increased visibility.

The project’s launch was initially planned for March 2020, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, planned activities had to be adapted to the new circumstances avoiding face-to-face meetings. This redesign actually enriched the offer with more personalised activities and the project providing computers with internet access in ten district social centres.

A socio-cultural training plan was elaborated. Rural Women Meetings, both in classrooms and online, focused on boosting social participation, improving women’s digital skills, and fostering female entrepreneurship. Participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences, to empower them to transform local culture and traditions into more egalitarian forms and reduce isolation.

A detailed study was conducted in the municipality of Fortuna and its districts. This investigated mobile coverage and identified solutions that would offer equal opportunities to the entire rural population.

Meetings were held in the four municipalities of the region, featuring open exhibitions created by local women and offering information, business advice and networking opportunities. Audio-visual content was created to show the lived reality of local women ‘in their own words’, and a documentary fiction - ‘La Gavilla'- was created to showcase LEADER projects set up by female entrepreneurs.

In addition, the project organised summer schools for children and young people aged three to 17. Young people worked on different themes such as art history, local heritage, painting, crafts, journalism, dramatic play and self-knowledge, music and photography.

Early results indicate that Territorio Igualdad’s various actions have addressed the project’s objectives in alignment with the Local Development Strategy of the LAG.

The project fostered the active participation of rural women in collaborative endeavours; empowering them to gain digital skills

and to contribute to the development of their local area and community through the Equality Network.

Territorio Igualdad is an innovative and transferable project framework. Its key success factors are that it promotes gender equality from different perspectives and creates synergies with multiple areas of EU policy. Specifically, it combines digital strategies, female entrepreneurship, environmental issues, conciliation services, and works not only with women, but also with young people; incorporating local traditions, produce, heritage, and the environment.