"Rural to be woman" is a initiative for the visibility of rural women and the encouragement of their active participation. Through co-produced formats, the project provides tools to promote a more cohesive citizenship. The project addresses gender inequality from diverse personal perspectives, allowing women to produce non-standardized narratives about the territory in which they live. During its development, actions will be carried out to connect stories and expand their political action.

Requena-Utiel region, province of Valencia, Spain

Requena-Utiel is a region located in the interior of the province of Valencia, 70km from the Mediterranean Sea and at an average altitude of 750m. In addition to having a particular geography and climate, its agricultural character dedicated mainly to wine production, contrasts with the industrial and tourist development of coastal regions.

Since the 60s there has been a continued emigration to Valencia, seeking areas of greater socio-economic development. The villages (aldeas) of the region have been the first settlements to be depopulated. Furthermore, there is a deficit of women compared to urban areas due to differences in terms of opportunities and recognition. One of the challenges to be solved is the invisibility in the tasks they have developed to keep the countryside alive.

The included voices, in the first place, are a selection of women based on a field study. A small part will be chosen to develop audiovisual formats that communicate diversity in the rural environment. This selection includes people from various rural contexts, older and younger women involved in agricultural production or focused on family care, with a long local tradition or coming from other European countries, etc. We provide tools to help women to develop personal leadership that achieve greater social support.

The project will have a rural community involved in the sustainable social construction of rural life. The stories and activities promoted by the women will be spread and communicated through these networks to be transmitted and valued in other contexts.

1. Socio-economic study of the situation of women in the rural context of the Utiel-Requena region.
2. Identification, together with partners, of current challenges to be made visible and profiles of women that already exist the territory.
3. Documentation of the daily life of the profiles defined to promote affinity and social inclusion.
4. Development of a communication plan and spreading platforms for the promotion of women's active participation.
5. Design of activities to promote equal opportunities and active citizenship based on peer-to-peer collaboration.
6. Development of a shared roadmap document for the future of women, including all the stakeholders.
7. Design and development of networking spaces for meetings and debates on the situation of women in rural areas.

We hope that the project will have a high impact on the territory and that the following changes will take place in the community:
- The rised of the significant value of women in the region. Enhancement of the value of women's work, both visible and invisible jobs.
- The implementation of a roadmap document that sets out the challenges to be worked between the different stakeholders, by and for women.
- The encouragement of new generations to find a life project in the rural environment avoiding depopulation and masculinization of the countryside.
- The construction of a network of mutual support for the empowerment and promotion of projects and initiatives in rural areas.

The project seeks the direct involvement of women from diverse rural contexts from the very beginning. Once they agree to participate in the project they assume the role of protagonists which enables them to build their own function as active citizens in rural environments. This fact allows them to participate directly.

Because of the affinity between women, an impact on a wider group is expected. In addition, during the course of the project, these women will be incorporated as communicators. They will be given the tools to generate a network of mutual support.

The visibility of the role of women and their problems is the first step towards the real change in decision-making spaces as well as in expanding equality in spaces based on cooperative economies.

We have grown up in a rural village where we have seen our mothers and grandmothers work at home and in the fields, manage and make decisions, solve problems. Their work has been essential to keep farms running, caring children and older adults.

Unfortunately, we are aware of how the rural world, which is significantly more conservative and sexist than the urban world, has left no room for social recognition, nor active participation in local representative boards or agricultural cooperatives.

We are from a different generation, who has lived and studied in the city, but who loves this territory. That is why we want to present how essential the work of women has been, and all that they can continue to contribute to the development of the rural areas.

Coordination: 12000€
Collaboration: 4000€
Documentation: 4000€
Branding: 4000€
→ Total Personal 24.000€

Administration: 2000€
Consultancies: 2800€
Web domain and hosting: 200€
→ Total External services 5.000€

Travel:2500€
Accommodation costs: 1000€
→ Total Travel and accommodation costs 3.500€

Communication and visibility: 1.500€
Activities, Workshops:7.500€
→ Total Materials 9.000€

Office 2500€
Internet 600€
→Total Indirect costs: 3100€

TOTAL 44600€

We really look forward to any comments, suggestions or references that will improve the project we present. We love to see projects grow from peer-to-peer exchange and learning!