On women’s entrepreneurship in rural and island areas and outermost regions

(2024/2124(INI))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation,

–having regard to Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms,

–having regard to Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU,

–having regard to the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025,

–having regard to the European Investment Fund and European Investment Bank Group Gender Strategy,

–having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy,

–having regard to the Women Leadership Programme of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and the European Innovation Council,

–having regard to the European Research Area gender equality plans,

–having regard to its resolution of 3 May 2022 on reaching women’s economic independence through entrepreneurship and self-employment,

–having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

–having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (A10-0000/2025),

A.whereas women play a key role in rural economies, yet continue to face legal, financial, cultural and infrastructural barriers to entrepreneurship and economic independence; whereas rural areas are integral to the European way of life, as they embody the balance between tradition and progress;

B.whereas targeted practical support, e.g. micro-loans, mentoring and simplified procedures, can empower first-time entrepreneurs;

C.whereas women in outermost and remote regions face intensified challenges and barriers on account of isolation, ageing populations and limited services;

D.whereas reconciling entrepreneurship with family life remains difficult, particularly in rural areas where public services are limited;

E.whereas gender-based violence, stigma and lack of support undermine women’s participation in social and economic life in rural areas owing to a lack of support networks and more pronounced traditional gender roles;

F.whereas digital inclusion is essential for women to access training, markets, and remote work and innovation opportunities; whereas science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for girls can help close gender gaps;

G.whereas support for women in farming, traditional crafts and creative sectors contributes to local economic resilience, cultural preservation and generational renewal;

H.whereas gender-disaggregated data is essential for developing rural entrepreneurship policies that effectively address the specific needs of women;

Competitiveness mainstreaming

1.Stresses that women entrepreneurs are a key driver of innovation, cohesion and competitiveness in rural areas; calls for improved access to innovation funding, tailored support programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises, and opportunities within the green and digital economies, ensuring that women entrepreneurs can participate fully in emerging markets;

2.Calls for the development of structured mentorship networks and peer learning platforms, particularly in areas such as digitalisation, finance and administration;

3.Urges the Member States to promote success stories of rural female entrepreneurs through awareness campaigns to boost visibility, confidence and community engagement;

4.Calls on the Commission and the European Institute for Gender Equality, in cooperation with social partners, to analyse key barriers to women’s employment and entrepreneurship, including in outermost and remote regions;

5.Supports the Commission’s strategy for the savings and investments union and the creation and expansion of inclusive financial instruments, including a labelled EU investment savings account to increase and facilitate access to finance for EU companies;

6.Calls for targeted investments in digital infrastructure, skills development and inclusive digital policy frameworks that ensure rural women are not left behind in the digital transition;

7.Calls for targeted measures to improve women’s access to land, finance, education and training, especially for aspiring female farmers and business owners;

8.Calls on the Commission to earmark adequate funding within relevant programmes to support women-led enterprises in rural and remote areas, particularly in innovative sectors and the tourism sector;

Preparedness mainstreaming

9.Calls on the Member States to ensure that education includes digital skills and STEM subjects in a way that challenges harmful gender stereotypes and supports comprehensive teaching about consent and rights;

10.Urges the Member States to provide gender-sensitive training, emergency services and infrastructure to mitigate the impact of crises on rural communities;

Traditional culture and craft

11.Applauds communities that embrace their women-led local farming, and traditional craftworks such as those fostered by local housewives associations, monuments and museums, all of which serve to foster tourism and social pride within the local community;

12.Highlights the socio-economic potential of traditional crafts and circular local economies, especially for elderly women; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support intergenerational entrepreneurship and craft-based value chains through training, funding and visibility actions;

13.Encourages the promotion of lifelong learning, recognition of prior learning, and digital inclusion for elderly women in rural areas;

14.Calls for greater support in maintaining centuries-old handicraft traditions such as weaving, embroidery and pottery, as has been fostered by numerous rural housewives associations;

Farming

15.Stresses the need to promote the visibility, recognition and appreciation of women’s contribution in agriculture, including on family-run farms; calls for gender-equal access to land, common agricultural policy (CAP) funds, advisory services, innovation support and succession rights;

16.Encourages the Member States to collect gender-disaggregated data on land ownership, agricultural leadership and the informal contributions of women;

17.Calls for measures that support young female farmers, as generational renewal is key to maintaining agricultural activity, which ensures both food security and vibrant rural communities;

18.Calls for greater inclusivity within rural areas, and for resilient and well-connected areas that provide secure, high-quality products and services for the wider society;

Equal access to infrastructure and services

19.Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure such as high-speed internet and reliable transport is essential to enable rural women to participate in economic, educational and civic life;

20.Encourages investment in social enterprises, cooperatives and care-related business models that empower rural women while addressing local needs, such as childcare, eldercare and community well-being;

21.Stresses that limited access to healthcare – including maternal care and mental health services – disproportionately affects women in rural, island and outermost regions; calls on the Member States to ensure the availability, affordability and continuity of essential health services, through mobile clinics and telemedicine;

Violence

22.Acknowledges that gender-based violence, including domestic, economic, sexual and psychological abuse, is a serious barrier to women’s autonomy and participation in economic life in rural and island regions;

23.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that women’s entrepreneurship in rural, island and outermost regions is adequately supported under the post-2027 multiannual financial framework, including funding through relevant programmes such as the CAP, Horizon Europe, and Digital Europe; underlines the importance of facilitating access to EU funding for women-led rural enterprises, cooperatives and community-based projects;

24.Reiterates the need for a comprehensive EU strategy for women’s entrepreneurship in rural, island and outermost regions and calls for dedicated financial resources and funding mechanisms to be allocated expressly to this strategy;

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25.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.