Aid for the promotion of women in rural areas

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food today announced at the Congress, which this year will be awarded for the first time, through a call for grant aid for the promotion of rural women. 

Elena Espinosa has said that the objective of this aid is to promote projects involving improvements to rural women and their beneficiaries are associations, federations and other groups of Women who develop them.

Minister has clarified that the eligible activities for a grant will be advocacy and advice to businesses and creating new jobs occupied by women, the contribution to economic diversification and the search for new channels marketing and distribution of products made by rural women, among others.

Elena Espinosa has emphasized that these aids are born with a vocation for continuity because the purpose of MAPA is to ensure that women have employment alternatives in rural areas.

Minister has also stressed that the future Law on Sustainable Rural Development, which aims to foster a level of development for the rural access to all services and infrastructure available to the urban environment, establish positive discrimination measures for rural women because they are a crucial element in ensuring the structuring of the territory, the rejuvenation of the population and maintenance of the activity.

Elena Espinosa has given an overview of all initiatives undertaken by the Government to promote gender equality policies in rural areas such as the Agreement signed between MAFF, the Ministry of Work and Organizations Agriculture as this represents a major step in recognizing the co-owners of farms who may benefit from reduced contributions to social security system (REASS) where the owner has less than forty years and the spouse is discharged in the REASS.

Moreover, the Minister stressed that the future Law on Gender Equality, adopted last March by the Council of Ministers, considered the particular case of rural women, recognizing their specificity by taking measures to encourage ownership in the farm, get a higher level of education, easier access to the labor market and promoting the participation of women on boards of companies and associations.

Finally, Elena Espinosa stressed that all actions, measures and tools that this administration has put in place are designed to advance the extension of equal rights and opportunities, to make visible the social relevance of rural women and providing solutions and efficient responses to their demands.

Source: MAPA

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