Fighting for Gender and Food Justice

This project seeks to illuminate the often-overlooked rural women’s experiences and leadership in agrarian struggles and their pursuit of gender equality. Employing oral history and qualitative research methods, the study aims to gather and analyse testimonies from rural women across three distinct geographical contexts, with a focus on areas characterised by small to medium-sized family farming: Portugal, Galicia, and the Basque Country. These regions serve as pertinent case studies due to the significant transformations that occurred upon their entry into the EEC/EU in 1986, with gender issues often unheeded in existing studies. This study aims to bring novel insights into the Southern European region while conducting comparative research.

Through a multidisciplinary approach, the research team will produce academic articles, alongside the production of impactful documentary vignettes – each spanning 3 to 4 minutes – intended for online dissemination via a dedicated project website. In addition, the project intends to craft three accessible e-books, each in Portuguese, Galician, and Basque, compiling the oral histories of rural women’s leadership in food system struggles and the pursuit of gender equality. Through these efforts, the project aims to fill crucial research gaps, amplify the voices of rural women, and foster a deeper understanding of their pivotal roles in shaping more equal, just and sustainable societies.