Promoting gender equality in European agriculture and rural areas

Gender mainstreaming has become an important principle of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The current CAP Strategic Plans (2023-2027), require a gender equality approach and the increased participation of women in farming, in addition to the assessment of women’s position in agriculture, forestry and rural areas and the challenges they face.

SWIFT is a Horizon Europe project designed to advance gender equality in farming and rural areas in Europe from an intersectional, feminist and human rights-based perspective. Marta Rivera-Ferre, the project coordinator, said: “Despite the crucial contributions of women to European agriculture, they remain discriminated against in different ways. SWIFT will analyse and amplify women-led innovations and empower those acting for change in farming and rural areas.”

SWIFT will set up shared spaces and exchanges among 19 agricultural organisations and initiatives working on women-led innovations in Europe, Brazil and the US. This will facilitate social learning and enable the co-creation of new approaches and social networks between different local groups. They will promote the use of videos, podcasts, photovoice and other participatory methodologies that facilitate the co-construction of knowledge. This includes tools to reframe agricultural and rural policies. One of these tools for example is gender-responsive budgeting, examining a whole budget cycle from design and allocation to spending and monitoring with the participation of individuals and communities affected by the budget evaluated.

The SWIFT project strives to contribute to adapting policy and governance frameworks to build alternative narratives around food that can boost women’s roles in the sustainable development of rural areas and innovation in farming.

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