What barriers do women face in accessing the agri-food labour market? Are these structural difficulties common to several countries, or are they issues that vary depending on the context? And how well is the Rural Social Innovation (RSI) model understood amongst entrepreneurs and those working in the education sector?
These are some of the questions that have guided AWARE’s first year of activity, during which the consortium carried out an analysis to understand the employment conditions of women in the agri-food sector, identify the obstacles that still exist and explore the opportunities offered by social innovation.
From the InnovAgroWoMad experience to the AWARE research project
The AWARE research project stems from the InnovAgroWoMad experience, a previous initiative dedicated to promoting the reintegration of women into the agri-food labour market.
The data collected in 2019 as part of InnovAgroWoMad had contributed to the development of the Rural Social Innovation (RSI) model, an approach that links social innovation with the development of the agri-food sector, with the aim of facilitating women’s access to employment and supporting their professional development.
The model is based on collaboration between institutions, entrepreneurs, trainers and teaching staff, recognising the role of networks and shared skills in creating more inclusive employment opportunities.
Several years on, the need has arisen to update the available data and understand how conditions in the sector have changed, in order to identify new needs and assess the potential for applying the RSI model in different national contexts.
A research project to understand needs, obstacles and opportunities
To explore these aspects in greater depth, the AWARE consortium has developed a research programme divided into two complementary phases.
The first phase, dedicated to a literature review, enabled the collection and comparison of European and national data on employment in the agri-food sector, paying particular attention to gender differences, regional contexts and the characteristics of the various professional fields.
This was followed by field research, involving focus groups and interviews with professionals in the sector, to explore the information gathered in greater depth and compare it with real-life experiences and perspectives.
The integration of these two phases has thus helped to paint a broader picture of the opportunities, challenges and needs of women in the agri-food sector, highlighting the areas where action is needed to promote greater inclusion in the workplace.
The research findings have been compiled in AWARE’s International Report, a valuable resource that not only describes the current state of the agri-food sector but also highlights areas that should and could be improved, thereby offering unparalleled value to entrepreneurs, educators, institutions or simply anyone interested in supporting systemic change in the agri-food sector to ensure greater equality and rights.
Would you like to find out more about the research findings and learn about the opportunities identified by AWARE to promote the inclusion of women in the agri-food sector?
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About AWARE
AWARE – Advancing Women’s employment in the Agri-food sector through Re-skilling and Empowerment è finanziato dal programma ESF+ Social Innovation+ initiative: Innovative Approaches Tackling Long-Term Unemployment.
Partner
- CESIE ETS (Italy, Coordinator)
- Confesercenti PA (Italy)
- FSMLR (Spain)
- Symplexis (Greece)
- AKMI (Greece)
- AGENSO (Greece)
- CSI (Cyprus)
- Peth (Cyprus)
- Pro Arbeit (Germany)
For further information
Contact Federico Mallei: federico.mallei@cesie.org.
