Strengthening the role of women in agriculture and promoting equal opportunities in the sector and in rural communities.
This is the objective of the new "Women in Farming" platform launched by the European Commission on March 8, on the occasion of International Women's Day.
The initiative stems from the observation that only 32% of farms in the EU are managed by women, and only 3% are run by women under the age of 40.
In practical terms, the platform will support national mentoring programmes and the sharing of best practices among EU countries, and will encourage networking among women farmers.
It will highlight successful projects from which others can learn and will feed practical experience into national and EU decision-making processes. The new platform will also spotlight "role model farmers", seeking to change the mindset of a sector long considered male-dominated.
