Rural Women’s Week in the Alto Bernesga Biosphere Reserve
September 8th 2026
Women Transforming the Land
To mark the International Day of Rural Women, celebrated every October 15, the Alto Bernesga Biosphere Reserve is organizing a special program to recognize, highlight, and celebrate the role of women in the development of rural areas.
The International Day of Rural Women was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 and was first celebrated in 2008.
The United Nations also emphasizes that rural women play a fundamental role in building more resilient communities in the face of social, economic, and environmental challenges, although they continue to face inequalities in access to resources such as land, financing, markets, training, and economic opportunities.
In this context, the Alto Bernesga Biosphere Reserve is proposing a Rural Women’s Week under the theme:
Women Transforming the Territory
This initiative is conceived as a space for meeting, dialogue, learning, and reflection to recognize the experiences and contributions of women who live, work, and develop initiatives in rural areas, and is framed within the RES-MAB Project.
The program will take place on October 13, 14, and 15, 2026, at the La Pola de Gordón Town Hall and will include a round table discussion and a training course.
🗣️ Round Table Discussion | October 13
The program will begin on October 13 at 5:30 p.m. with a round table discussion in which various women connected to the area will share their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives on the role of women in rural communities.
Participants include:
Carmen Fernández Llamazares, coordinator of the CIAMI (Center for Intercultural and Rural Development) in Villaquilambre and professor at the University of León.
Susana García Pisabarros, PhD in Geography from the University of León.
Rosa María Gutiérrez Rodríguez, President of the Alto Bernesga Business Association.
The meeting will address issues related to women’s participation, entrepreneurship, local development, economic activity, and the social transformation of rural areas, sharing different experiences and realities.
📚 Course | October 14 and 15
On October 14 and 15, the latter coinciding with the International Day of Rural Women, the following course will be held:
“Keys to Transforming Our Territory Through Equality”
This 6-hour theoretical and practical training is aimed at technicians, business owners, the self-employed, and anyone interested in developing an activity and incorporating an equality perspective into their initiatives.
The course will take place on both days from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, is free of charge, and will be taught by Beatriz Álvarez Ferrero, a gender consultant.
This training will provide practical tools and knowledge to understand how equality can contribute to creating more inclusive and sustainable projects, activities, and territories.
🌱 Women, Equality, and Territorial Resilience
The celebration of this Rural Women’s Week is also part of the actions developed by the Alto Bernesga Biosphere Reserve within the RES-MAB project, which works to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves.
A gender perspective is an essential dimension for moving towards more resilient rural territories. Listening to and making women’s voices visible, promoting their participation, and facilitating their access to knowledge, resources, and opportunities contributes to strengthening the capacities of rural communities and their response to future challenges.
From the Alto Bernesga Biosphere Reserve, we want to take advantage of this international day to recognize the women who keep our villages alive, generate economic activity, care for and manage the territory’s resources, promote projects, and actively participate in building the rural future.
Because transforming the territory also means moving towards territories where women and men can participate on equal terms and fully develop their capabilities.
Together we transform the territory.
Together we build equality.
📍 Location: La Pola de Gordón Town Hall
📅 Dates: October 13, 14, and 15, 2026
📩 Information and registration: veronica.delrio@altobernesgabiosfera.es
More information on the International Day of Rural Women — United Nations
Más información sobre el Día Internacional de las Mujeres Rurales — Naciones Unidas
