Calls for more funding for female farmers and entrepreneurs
MEP Maria Walsh with Commissioner of Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen.
The European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee has voted to increase funding for female farmers and entrepreneurs.
The vote has been filed as part of a report on which MEP Maria Walsh serves as a lead negotiator. Ms Walsh said the report sent a strong signal the EU must do more to support women driving rural economies, including in Ireland.
The report calls for improved access to public and private finance for women entrepreneurs, ring-fenced funding through the LEADER programme, simplified access to EU funds for women in traditional crafts, and stronger support for female farmers through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Ms Walsh said: “I welcome the committee’s support for a new ringfenced budget for the LEADER programme, but we must recognise that we face an uphill battle given the current proposals coming from the European Commission. One of my top priorities throughout the budget negotiations is tangible financial support for women across rural Ireland.
Through this report, I am calling for practical changes: fast-track financing for women entrepreneurs and microbusinesses, simplified access to EU funds, and targeted CAP supports for female farmers.”
Ms Walsh also told the commission to begin addressing long-standing barriers women face when acquiring or inheriting land, and to ensure the upcoming EU Land Observatory collects gender-disaggregated data to guide future policies.
“The report’s recommendations will feed into upcoming EU funding programmes that directly impact Ireland’s agriculture and rural development budgets. I will continue working to ensure these proposals are reflected in Ireland’s implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy and in continued funding for LEADER and rural women’s initiatives,” Ms Walsh said.
