The 2020 theme on International Rural Women’s Day is “Building the resilience of rural women in the wake of COVID-19”.
In 2008, the first International Day of Rural Women took place. The United Nations General Assembly set October 15 as the date to recognize “the decisive role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in the promotion of agricultural and rural development, the improvement of food security and the eradication of rural poverty.”
After 12 years, the 2020 theme on the International Day of Rural Women is “Building the resilience of rural women in the wake of COVID-19”, and seeks to raise awareness about these women, their needs and their fundamental and key role in our society.
Due to this pandemic, the role of women in rural areas becomes key to the green recovery. The contribution of rural women to development is invaluable. They represent a quarter of the world’s population and work as farmers, wage earners and entrepreneurs. In addition, they guarantee the food security of their populations and help prepare their communities for climate change.
Gender-responsive investment in rural areas is central to the reconstruction process. For this reason, the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has launched two calls for subsidies to support the hiring of unemployed people and training and advice projects in the green and blue economy, focusing on women and rural areas. The aim of these grants is to address the current major challenges such as the crisis generated by COVID-19, the loss of biodiversity, climate change and depopulation, which require solutions based on a fair and sustainable economy.
To support the hiring of unemployed people, we launched the Emple Call, endowed with 5 million euros. The amount of subsidies for the hiring of unemployed people ranges between 1,900 and 3,440 euros per contract made. The amount depends on whether the person hired belongs to any of the priority social groups (women, young people up to 35 years of age, over 45 years of age, immigrants, people with disabilities or residents of protected areas and rural areas) and the percentage of co-financing from the European Social Fund, corresponding to the region where the workplace that makes the hiring is located. paying special attention to the autonomous communities and cities of Extremadura, Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Melilla, Murcia, Asturias, Ceuta and Galicia, where 80% of these funds are available.
On the other hand, through the Improvement Call, endowed with 5.7 million euros, it is intended to support training and advice projects on issues related to the green and blue economy. The amount of these projects can range between 100,000 and 300,000 euros. In this case, priority social groups will also be taken into account (women, young people up to 35 years of age, over 45, immigrants, people with disabilities and residents of protected areas and/or rural areas) and the regions with the most funds available for these grants are Extremadura, Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha, Murcia, the Canary Islands and Melilla.
In addition to the traditional niches of green employment carried out by women (organic agriculture and livestock, wastewater treatment and purification, waste management and treatment, renewable energy production, management of protected natural areas and forest areas, environmental services to companies and entities, and environmental education and information), new opportunities are added, such as those offered by information and communication technologies. sustainable tourism, specific activities related to climate change mitigation or adaptation, or investment in the protection and restoration of nature.
If you are a woman and you live in rural areas, apply for our grants to be a key player in the green recovery.
