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- Ελληνικά
"I, my mother, am a mother of many children, I get up at dawn to go to the fields, to get my children ready, and then my grandchildren, to clean and mow, and so on."
And yet if I ask you to close your eyes and think of a man in the profession of agriculture, animal husbandry or a rural businesswoman, I am sure the figure will be male.
The role of the rural woman, the farmer, the businesswoman, has historically been of vital importance. The rural woman farmer, the rural entrepreneur, has left her mark, keeping the countryside alive and contributing to rural and economic development. She worked and works hard, supported and sustained, cared for and nurtured her family, contributed and contributes to the preservation of our cultural tradition and heritage
However, women have often faced, and still face, social, economic, cultural, and now technological/digital barriers, limiting their productivity and their ability to be recognized or to participate equally in rural and economic development in general, leaving them to this day in invisibility.
One of the reasons for the above, apart from stereotypical and anachronistic prejudices, is also the fact that we do not have statistics and studies that could help us in policy-making. So, allow me to talk a little about the European Union, of which our country is a member.
It is a fact that the European agricultural economy is in a constant process of structural changes and adjustments. The challenges include environmental issues, climate change and crisis, securing new entrants of women and men into the agricultural sector, trade agreements, new forms of cooperatives, the majority of which lack women, the new realities of the agricultural industry and, more broadly, the future of the primary production sector, a future that implies an increase in employment in the sector.
At the same time, however, it seems that the participation of women, at least in the formal agricultural labour market of the European Union, is still very low. Gender mainstreaming and the introduction of measures relating to women are an integral part of the European Regulation supporting Rural Development and, of course, the Common Agricultural Policy (2023-2027). One of the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy is to promote equality and equal opportunities between women and men.
From the available evidence it appears that to date many Member States have not implemented it rigorously and it is necessary to build immediately on the experience available from the This need stems from the objective of maintaining and strengthening the rural and entrepreneurial population in rural areas through the creation of jobs and a wide range of economic activities, particularly in rural and mountain areas. This, after all, is one of the Government's priorities.
This particular project, however, my friends, has a strong gender dimension. Unfortunately, the underestimation and misunderstanding of this dimension has and will continue to have a negative impact on the success of this project. It is for this reason that there should be specific conditions, such as, among other things, ensuring equal opportunities between women and men - taking the gender dimension into account when designing measures and policies - and monitoring the impact of measures and policies on men and women. For this to happen, however, we need data, which we do not have, because in our country there is a lack of surveys and collection of government data and statistics related to men and women in the primary sector.
The problem does not only concern Cyprus. The European Union describes as disappointing the lack of comprehensive data on women in the agricultural economy and calls for Europe-wide studies and research in order to be able to examine, for example, the different ways in which the Common Agricultural Policy impacts on women farmers and farmers and how it could be better adapted to their needs.
The farmer today, the rural woman, like every woman, can contribute equally, achieving healthy, sustainable social It is no coincidence, moreover, that the European Institute for Gender Equality has launched an intensive action focusing on gender, environment, green and digital transition.
With the above in mind, the Government has put high on its agenda the promotion of equality between women and men, and farm women, rural women, are part of this effort. This is where the role of the Office of the Gender Equality Commissioner comes in. Our Office, always in cooperation with all Ministries and Deputy Ministries, coordinates and will monitor the implementation of actions that promote gender equality in all areas of life.
This cooperation naturally extends to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Office of the Environment Commissioner, but also to bodies such as the National Mechanism for Women's Rights, the Farmers' Section of the Cyprus Farmers' Union, women's political and trade union organisations, the Social Support Network for Mountainous Areas and non-governmental organisations whose purpose directly or indirectly is to safeguard women's rights as human rights and to strengthen efforts and struggles for gender equality.
Today, through the upgrading of our Office, we are taking action to develop those actions that will contribute to the consolidation of equality between women and men. We have already started planning these actions and some of them will be part of the new National Strategy for Gender Equality for the period 2024- 2026.
More specifically, one action of a symbolic nature, which has its importance, is that following our recommendation to the Minister of Agriculture, the logo of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023 - 2027 Strategic Plan features a man and a woman, recognizing the contribution of women in this sector of the economy, who for years have been in invisibility. Further, other actions include training programmes on digital and financial skills targeted at rural women, with the aim of empowering and strengthening them and ensuring their economic independence.
To implement these programmes, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, the State Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, the Commissioner for the Environment and the Cyprus Youth Organization, we will visit their communities, respecting and respecting both the importance of returning to the countryside, but also the rhythms of the women themselves and what they undertake on a daily basis, in order to discuss first of all with them, and on the basis of their suggestions and needs to prepare the educational programmes.
At the same time, together with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the Deputy Ministry of Culture, we will take joint action to highlight the role of rural women in the cultural tradition, which will also result in their business support. In addition to empowerment, however, the guarantees for young rural women must also be established so that their own important contribution does not encounter obstacles and difficulties.
The above has started to be implemented through the funding of the National Mechanism for Women's Rights to the Social Support Network of Mountainous Areas, which has already started a cycle of workshops on gender equality and the elimination of stereotypes and social prejudices in the Troodos region.
The peasant and rural woman needs and must be highlighted. The multiple roles assigned to them and their invisible contribution over so many decades to the care economy and to work, including in the primary sector and entrepreneurship, need to be replaced with empowerment and equal opportunities, giving them a voice and removing the barriers, including stereotypes and prejudices, that hinder their equal participation in all spheres of life.
I am also well aware that all these efforts are not an easy task, but are imperative to collectively contribute to the fight against female poverty, to the sustainable development of our society and to the promotion of a healthy society and a more robust economy.
(AF/MS)
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