06.07.2017

The July 5th event, proposed by the national women's organization Afammer , was divided into three distinct parts. The first aimed to promote women's projects recognized by previous years ' Rural Women's Excellence Awards for Innovation . The initiatives presented included "Clisol Agricultural Tourism" by Dolores Gómez and "Save the Guirra Sheep" by Regina Monsalve, both winners of awards in the category of diversification of economic activity in rural areas. Examples of innovation in agricultural activity included "Masía Ana: Intergenerational Agroecology" with Susana Gordo and "El Kirinal Ecológico" by Susana Blázquez. In this first part, women were encouraged to make their projects a reality, because even if the road is not easy, the effort is worth it in the end.

The second part consisted of gathering entrepreneurial experiences from rural women participating in Local Action Groups . María José García began by presenting the work of the "Montes Norte" development association as a representative of the Castilla-La Mancha Rural Development Network. Regina Monsalve then spoke about "Entrepreneurial Initiatives in the Sector," and Mª José Rodriguez, representing the Arco Noreste Rural Development Group of the Vega de Granada, presented "Agrotourism Beas de Granada," a project by Mercedes Salvador. The experience and advice of "El Jardín Marly CB Ludoteca" by María Ascensión Escobar, the "Arte Gaia" project by Juana Teresa Gil, and Ana María Romero Blasco and her launch of the "San Blas Geriatric Residence" were also discussed. During this part, the important role that Local Action Groups play in supporting and advising women who have started an economic activity in the rural world was highlighted.

Finally, representatives from various administrations and organizations working to support women's entrepreneurship in rural areas participated in an exchange of information and experiences. In this space, the Guadalajara Provincial Council 's Impulsa Mujer Rural program was presented by Juan Pedro Sánchez Yedra. Mayte Carmona of the Ciudad Real Chamber of Commerce discussed "The Role of Chambers of Commerce in Supporting Entrepreneurship." Julio Campos then spoke about the work of the Andanatura Foundation , and finally, José Antonio Vega presented the work on "Female Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas" by Valnalón . The institutions collaborating in this section emphasized that women who want to start their own businesses are not alone; that there are avenues, services, and programs they can rely on in the process of creating and consolidating their projects.