• 44 Local Action Groups (LAGs) in the region, along with rural associations and entities, are participating in the "Rural Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy."

Aware of this reality, the Local Action Groups (LAGs) of Castile and León have become actively involved in the "Rural Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy" of Castile and León, with the aim of reaffirming the role of rural women in the rural areas of this community.

The new strategy outlines up to 30 specific actions to be implemented by 2023. All social stakeholders involved in rural areas collaborated in its definition, including the GAL of Castilla y León, which have proposed various initiatives to improve and strengthen women's employability and entrepreneurship in rural areas.

All GALs offer the infrastructure and experience each possesses in their respective territories to provide women entrepreneurs with the advice and training that facilitates the achievement of the objectives set out in the Strategy.

LEADER Support

Castilla y León's "Rural Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy" prioritizes women's access to employment through LEADER grants. These grants will be allocated within the strategy to start businesses operating in rural areas and will be used for the following objectives:

• Diversify the rural economy by supporting SMEs, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
• Promote sustainable land use, with special attention to rural women.
• Train the population in specific and sustainable tasks.
• Helping small and medium-sized enterprises improve their productivity and competitiveness for agricultural and livestock development.
• Fund new economic and environmental initiatives and allocate a portion of the program's budget to them.

Survey

The "Rural Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy" was developed based on the results of the survey of rural women conducted prior to the development of this Strategy. This survey provided insight into the situation, problems, weaknesses, needs, and strengths of women in rural areas.

The survey, which received a total of 1,065 responses from women living in rural areas, was conducted by:

• The six rural women's organizations in Castile and León, specifically: the Federation of Rural Women (FEMUR), the Federation of Rural Women and Families (AMFAR), the Federation of Rural Women's Associations (FADEMUR), the Association of Rural Women and Families (AFAMMER), the Social Initiative of Rural Women (ISMUR), and the Federation of Rural Women (CERES).
• Professional Agricultural Organizations.
• Local Action Groups.

Cristina Frías, a technician from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development of Castile and León who led the implementation of the strategy, explains to the RRN that "this project was created to support rural women who want to start or already have established projects. In the first case, to make their work visible. In the second, so that the projects that come to light serve as inspiration for other women who want to start from scratch in rural areas."

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