Background
At the ‘Women Working Together’ Event in Berwick-upon-Tweed on 22nd September 2006, women from rural women’s networks and groups in North of England, Scotland and Ireland met to share their local priorities and to agree the focus for this transnational co-operation project proposal.
The event was organised by the North Northumberland Women’s Network as an activity within a preliminary Leader+ funded co-operation project that had enabled networking and best practice exchange to take place between a small number of rural women’s networks in the north of England throughout 2005-6. The event was the culmination of this project, where the theme of rural women in regeneration had been the focus.
Some groundwork had also been funded into exploring other possible partners for a further co-operation project. This has resulted in interest having been expressed in ongoing partnership by Network West Langholm, Scottish Borders Leader+, Wicklow Rural Partnership, Peaks Dales and Moorlands Leader+, Leader+ in North Northumberland, partners in Co Laois. Contacts have subsequently been made with potential partners in Finland and the Baltic area, where Leader+ LAG development is beginning to take place, and where a number of women’s projects share the UK interest in promoting gender equality in local regeneration.
The initial ideas for themes had included partners that would help give focus for other women’s networks on:
• Women in traditional and non-traditional sectors
• Women’s resource space
• Tourism focussed projects
• Women having an equal say in local decision making
Results from the consultation event
There was very strong support for a co-operation project. Given the timescales for current funding through Leader+ it was agreed that the best thing would be to plan for a transnational co-operation project between women’s networks and Leader+ partners in UK and Ireland that had small amounts of funding to be allocated by Dec 06 / Mar 07, extended to include one or more Eastern European partner with a particular emphasis on learning from each other’s networking activities, and building links which could lead to a more substantial future project linking rural women’s networks.
Co-operation Project Proposal 2007
The resulting project proposal builds on good work already underway. The overall focus is on the sustainability of rural women’s networking, to promote gender equality within the changing face of rural regeneration and culture. Its overall aim will be
“to promote a positive and equal role for women in the economic, environmental and social fabric of rural communities through sustainable networking.
This will be built on a programme that builds on women’s traditional skills and strengths while promoting new roles for women and men in a changing society.”
The project will demonstrate different models of working that are being developed by different partners, such as mentoring, peer support, cluster enterprise support, project work, and training in representational skills, as well as a range of practical and vocational skills. The proposed outputs will be:
• A web based networking space
• Swap shop
• Welcome ‘pack’ for new communities
• Programme of linked training and related seminars across the partners
• Development work towards wider networking
• Work towards a good practice guide for sustainable rural women’s networks, linked into Leader+, which will pave the way for further transnational partnership-building.
Project Activities
Follow the link for a diagram showing how the programme fits together
• Heritage skills such as dry stone walling through to environmental self-build
• Traditional crafts through to web design skills
• Traditional cultural heritage linked to tourism e.g. plant walks, women-focussed archaeology, outdoor pursuits, through to women’s festivals featuring multi-cultural and intergenerational dance, music, circus.
• Women as traditional farmers through to creative enterprise development
• Women volunteering in the community working with and for newcomers facing disadvantage and discrimination through to equal representation on strategic partnerships and formal bodies
• Feasibility of working towards rural women’s resource centres in each area
• Women and men working together to explore and support each other in taking on new roles
Leader+ Funding
This project is funded by the Leader+ programme, with funds from Europe, DEFRA and the participating partner organisations. The project fits with the Leader + key themes including environment, tourism, culture, enterprise and education, as well as building further on existing programmes targeting women, including young women, and women and men working together on gender equality initiatives.
