The primary goal of the project was to empower women farmers within agricultural cooperatives. Our specific objectives included the following: Strengthening Agricultural Cooperatives: We aimed to boost the capacity of women's agricultural cooperatives by fostering enhanced cooperation with adult education and offering innovative training programs. Promoting Cooperative Farming: By encouraging cooperative farming among women, we sought to increase awareness of women's entrepreneurship in rural areas. Problem Solving through Knowledge Sharing: The project aimed to address challenges in agricultural cooperatives by sharing expertise and experiences among the participating institutions. Providing Improved Training: We intended to offer women farmers improved training in agricultural cooperatives at the EU level, contributing to their professional development. Wider Dissemination: Another goal was to reach broader audiences to share the project's results and best practices. Supporting Key EU Priorities: The project also aimed to contribute to the European Commission's priorities and the Erasmus+ program by focusing on women empowerment, rural development, sustainability, and digital transformation.
We applied for this project to empower women in agriculture in Silivri, where only 50 out of 2,000 registered farmers are women. This gender gap shows a clear need to increase female participation in the agricultural sector. Silivri's Agricultural Production and Research Center (TURAM) offers some training for women farmers, but there's a lack of comprehensive education on cooperative management, communication, and digital skills. This project aims to bridge that gap by providing practical training that helps women farmers succeed in agricultural cooperatives. The project also seeks to create more sustainable training programs for adult education in Turkey and other participating countries. Ultimately, the goal is to support women's role in agricultural cooperatives, contributing to the economic and social development of rural areas, in alignment with EU objectives for women's empowerment in agriculture.