Within the framework of the National Rural Network's initiatives, and at the proposal of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), a workshop on rural economic diversification with a gender perspective was held on December 13, 2018, promoting productive transformation.

These conferences were part of Article 2 of Law 45/2007 , of December 13, for the sustainable development of rural areas, establishing the need to achieve the following objectives:

• • Maintain and expand the economic base of rural areas by preserving competitive and multifunctional activities and diversifying their economy with the incorporation of new activities compatible with sustainable development.
• • Maintain and improve the population density of rural areas and raise the well-being of its citizens, ensuring adequate and sufficient basic public services that guarantee equal opportunities and non-discrimination, especially for the most vulnerable or those at risk of exclusion.
• • Conserve and recover the heritage and natural and cultural resources of rural areas through public and private actions that allow their use to be compatible with sustainable development.
• • Furthermore, Article 8 establishes that all measures contained in the Sustainable Rural Development Program must respect the principle of equal treatment and opportunities between women and men.

The masculinization of the population in rural areas, as well as the difficulties in consolidating the population , reflect the fact that these aspects still need to be addressed in order to comply with the constitutional mandate of equality and the basic objective of Law 45/2007, which is to improve the socioeconomic situation and access to quality public services, placing special emphasis on the incorporation of rural youth into the labor market, promoting gender equality and the participation of women in all areas of life in rural areas.

The event was aimed at all heads of Rural Development Services in municipalities and local authorities, all Local Action Groups, other supra-municipal entities, and local development agents in the municipalities.