COMUNICACIÓN

Over 40 participants, mostly women, from different sectors across the region of La Vera (Cáceres, Extremadura) met on 2 and 3 October at the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste and in Pasarón de la Vera for the activity “Not Letting None Behind: The Challenge of Rural Areas”, framed within the European project funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), “Her Voice: Her Power, Our Future! Women Leading the Way to Sustainability”, in which representatives from municipalities, institutions and universities from Slovenia, France, Italy, Romania, Poland, Latvia and Spain also took part. (02/10/2025)

These sessions, focused on the essential role of women in the sustainable development of rural areas, were organised by the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation together with the Association for the Integral Development of the La Vera Region (ADICOVER), Cuacos de Yuste Town Council, and the La Vera Region Women’s Association.

The opening of the meeting featured the participation of the mayors of Cuacos de Yuste, José María Hernández, and Jarandilla de la Vera, Fermín Encabo, who, together with the vice-president of the Federation of Women’s Associations of La Vera, Julia Martín, emphasised the importance of projects like this in showcasing women’s work in the socio-economic development of the region. They highlighted how such initiatives empower women to face the many challenges confronting their community and provide opportunities to share experiences with municipalities, associations, and women from other parts of Europe.

The meeting also saw the participation of the mayors of Robledillo de la Vera, Guijo de Santa Bárbara, Torremenga, Valverde de la Vera, Gargüera, and Tejeda Tiétar ⸺all of whom are women⸺ who shared with attendees the challenges facing their municipalities, as well as their projects, experiences, and strategies to tackle key issues such as depopulation, female emigration, gender equality, and sustainable development.

The sessions were complemented by visits to the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste, the German cemetery, Guijo de Santa Bárbara —where the workshop “From Farm to Fork: Responsible Consumption and Production & Other Projects Promoting Equal Gender Opportunities in La Vera” took place—, Jarandilla de la Vera, and the Manrique de Lara Palace in Pasarón de la Vera. There, several entrepreneur women from the region presented their life journeys leading to the business ideas they have developed locally, aiming to revitalise the area and promote economic growth.

Her Voice Project

The Her Voice project consortium is led by UNED (National University of Distance Education) in Denia (Spain) and includes partners from the University of Arts of Targu Mures (Romania); Gmina Miasta Sopotu (Poland); the Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine); the Usamborgia Cultural Association (Italy); Saldus Novada Pasvaldinba (Latvia); Podjetniski Inkubator Kocevje, Javni Zavod Za Podjetnistvoizobraževanje In Druge Dejavnosti (Slovenia); the Jean Monnet Association (France); and the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation (Spain).

The project consists of eight international events organised in the partner countries. It aims to engage directly over 400 participants and indirectly more than 25,000 people, with activities addressing key issues such as the promotion of women’s full enjoyment of their rights, gender equality, including work-life balance, women’s empowerment, the integration of a gender perspective, and its impact on sustainable development.

The project seeks to raise awareness and knowledge among EU citizens, focusing on social inclusion and the gender dimension, with the goal of strengthening citizen participation in general and fostering dialogue among different societal actors, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and democratic Europe.

More information: https://hervoiceherpower.eu/