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Women have always played an important role in the agri-food sector. However, in the 21st century, this role is still invisible in a sector that is completely male-dominated and which is also facing an ageing rural population. But in the midst of all possible crises, new times and an economic recovery plan from the current Spanish government have arrived, with a special focus on the rural agenda. Awareness and funding, perhaps the perfect combination together with social innovation to promote equal opportunities between men and women in the sector.
The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that moves the world, as recited in the poem by American poet William Ross Wallace. Even so, in the agri-food sector, women continue to find it very difficult to be on an equal footing with men. A reality not only in Spain, but also in the countries of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and southern Europe, which show a common trend in terms of low women's empowerment and low labour force participation. This is due to socio-economic factors and the fact that growth in this sector has not been inclusive. The pattern is repeated in countries such as Palestine, Italy, Tunisia... Women still occupy a higher percentage of lower positions in the work hierarchy, suffer from sexist stereotypes in the workplace, and face all this with almost no awareness of the situation.
When we talk about the agri-food sector, we also talk about a female employment rate of 23.3%, compared to a male employment rate of 72.3%. This implies a gender employment gap of 23.3 points in favour of men, according to data from the Ministry of the Environment. On the other hand, if we look at self-employment in rural areas, 76.2% is carried out by men and 23.8% by women. In addition, another factor that reveals this inequality is the types of contract. The percentage of women with a temporary contract or a permanent-discontinuous contract is higher. And to these feminised positions we must add the absence of contracts, a situation that occurs when women 'help their families' in rural areas.
Thus, much remains to be done to achieve equality within the agricultural sector, a matter, as in all other economic areas, of human rights. Moreover, as stated in the European Strategy for Equality, the gender balance is essential 'to achieve smart and sustainable growth'.
Is a green Spain without a gender gap possible?
And following this scenario of inequality, came the COVID-19 crisis, which has changed the global economic situation. At the same time, it has placed the agri-food sector in a stellar position, as it has become evident that it is an essential sector for development.
To tackle the economic and social crisis, in 2020 the Spanish government presented the “Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia de la Economía Española”, inspired by the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. A plan that proposes 'green investment' and the digital transformation of various sectors such as the agri-food sector as essential. And a plan that refers to women as those most affected by the crisis caused by the pandemic. It is therefore 'essential to invest public funds to improve environmental sustainability and inclusion'.
The European funds invested in this plan will raise around 72 billion euros over the next three years (2021-2023). And very importantly, the Urban and Rural Agenda accounts for 16% of these funds. Around 11.5 billion euros will be used for this agenda, which aims, among other things, to curb depopulation and promote the development of agriculture.
Social entrepreneurship: an alternative tool for promoting equality in rural areas
It seems that Spain is finally following in the footsteps of the European Union and is firmly committed to a green policy and policies that promote equality in the sector. In this favourable context, social entrepreneurship should play an important role. Discrimination and job insecurity of women in rural areas make it necessary to generate new formulas to promote equality in the sector. And the use of alternative tools such as entrepreneurship can be the key to empowering women. Empowerment in political terms means 'modifying the patterns that restrict personal and collective life by creating conditions to eliminate the personal and social powers that oppress women', as Marcela Lagarde, a Mexican politician and anthropologist, points out.
In this line and with these objectives, Jovesólides has started this weekend 'Semillas' (Seeds), a 640-hour training course on social innovation and agroecology. A total of 35 women from diverse backgrounds are participating. The ultimate goal: to stimulate their employability in the agri-food sector and also their entrepreneurship.
This training takes place in the framework of the European project InnovAgroWomed. To follow all the news of the project, funded by the European Union through the ENI CBC Med programme, follow the hashtag #InnovAgroWomed on social media.
