Equal Ground
Women play an important role in the Dutch agricultural sector, for example as entrepreneurs, business partners, successors, advisors, or connectors between agriculture and society. However, their contribution is often less visible, and they receive fewer opportunities when it comes to business succession, access to financing, and participation in professional networks. In the Netherlands, only a small proportion (6%) of agricultural businesses are led by women.
Objective
This Equal Ground project aims to strengthen the position of women in the agricultural sector by working together with partners across the agri-food chain to explore how the potential of women can be better recognized, supported, and utilized.
Equal Ground investigates which interventions are already being implemented within the agricultural sector, what is working well, and where gaps remain. Together with farming families, agricultural advisors and service providers, educational institutions, and policymakers, we are developing four practical tools: two masterclasses, a “Gender in Focus” scan, and an inclusive policy compass. In this way, we aim to better harness female entrepreneurship and create lasting change throughout the entire agricultural value chain.
Results
The expected practical outcomes of this project are four interventions, distributed across two areas of focus. The project will deliver tools that support knowledge development for entrepreneurial families in the agricultural sector, agricultural advisors and service providers, and educational institutions.
We will develop two masterclasses: one aimed at farming families and another for agricultural advisors and service providers. In addition, in collaboration with higher vocational education (HBO) and secondary vocational education (MBO) partners, we will create a “Gender in Focus” scan to assess how gender-related knowledge and awareness are embedded in educational curricula. An inclusive policy compass will also be developed for policymakers.
By addressing both knowledge development and policy development, the project contributes to broader awareness throughout the agricultural value chain. It highlights that unlocking women's potential is not a separate issue, but an essential component of building a future-proof and resilient agricultural sector.
Approach
Qualitative Intervention Study
Education impact
The impact and sustainability of the Equal Ground project are secured at three levels: professional practice, education, and academia. In practice, the insights developed through the project are translated into four practical interventions, including two masterclasses, a Gender in Focus scan, and an Inclusive Policy Compass to help interpret and guide policy measures. Ongoing engagement with female entrepreneurs, family businesses, and farm successors, as well as a concluding knowledge festival (4.4), will ensure long-term embedding and wide dissemination of the project outcomes.
Within education, the results will be structurally integrated into curricula. Using the Gender in Focus scan, educators will identify where and how gender norms are reflected in existing agricultural education programmes. In addition, students will be able to participate in the masterclasses that have primarily been developed for entrepreneurial families and farm successors.
For academia, the project outcomes will be incorporated into the international research field on female entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the knowledge base and methodological innovation. The specific implementation of these activities is further elaborated in WP4: Valorisation and Knowledge Dissemination.
HU researchers involved in the research
Collaboration with knowledge partners
