Gender Rural Equality and Tourism (GREAT)
Gender Rural Equality and Tourism (GREAT) is being implemented since 2021 by UN Women in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and FAO. Financed by the Italian Government, the main objective of this three-year initiative is to contribute to the sustainable economic development of rural women and their communities by increasing their income and ability to obtain work.
The project aims to increase the capacities of rural women to develop their own business, to self-organize and register as local groups and to improve their access to finance. Simultaneously, GREAT will support targeted municipalities to prioritize and promote rural women’s businesses, rural tourism and value chain development. A key component of the project is to raise awareness on the key role and contribution of rural women and girls in the local economic and social life.
The project was developed based on the needs identified by UN Women and FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, following recommendations of different studies and country assessments. Its main goals are aligned with the priorities of the Government, in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its core principle of leaving no-one behind.