Description
This initiative, developed by AMCAE Andalucía (Association of Women in Agri-food Cooperatives of Andalusia), promotes gender equality within rural agri-food cooperatives as a strategy to prevent GBV and strengthen women’s participation in the sector. Within the project, they organise meetings, exchange visits among cooperatives, and peer-learning activities, as well as training sessions for women cooperative members, farmers, and livestock breeders. Through these actions, this initiative encourages women’s leadership, participation in decision-making bodies, and the creation of support networks among rural women.
With this project, they address structural inequalities that persist within the agri-food sector and promote social and economic empowerment as a key element in preventing situations of vulnerability and violence. They also apply collaborative methodologies and peer-to-peer learning approaches that encourage cultural exchange within cooperatives and support more inclusive governance models. Although this initiative does not focus exclusively on the wine sector, its methodology remains highly transferable to wine cooperatives and other rural areas linked to the wine sector.
Why this matters for Grapes of Change
This initiative is particularly relevant because it tackles GBV from a structural perspective by promoting the economic independence, participation, and leadership of rural women within agri-food cooperatives. The project shows how gender equality and women’s empowerment can drive social change and help prevent situations of vulnerability.
In the wine sector, this initiative offers a transferable model for inclusive governance and for strengthening the role of women in the traditionally male-dominated sector. Its collaborative approach also stands out, as it relies on networks among cooperatives, peer learning, and community involvement.
By combining training, awareness activities, and the promotion of female role models, this initiative provides an innovative and inspiring example for other European regions and agri-food sectors that aim to foster equality and social inclusion in rural areas.
Lessons learned
Although the project is still relatively new, its implementation already shows that agri-food cooperatives can play an important role in promoting gender equality and preventing GBV in rural areas. One of the main lessons learned is that women’s economic empowerment and active participation in decision-making spaces strengthen their autonomy and help reduce situations of inequality and vulnerability.
This project also highlights the importance of networking and knowledge-sharing between cooperatives in driving long-term cultural change. Creating safe spaces for dialogue and peer learning helps build trust, increase the visibility of female role models, and encourage greater community participation.
At the same time, this initiative could benefit from stronger long-term impact assessment methods and from greater involvement of men and cooperative leadership bodies in awareness-raising activities. Developing specific indicators linked to the wine sector would also help adapt and transfer the model more effectively to wine cooperatives and other European agri-food industries.