Nearly 1,600 rural women will be trained to address the climate crisis by the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries of Uruguay in collaboration with IICA

Montevideo, 30 September 2024 (IICA) – Nearly 1,600 rural women in Uruguay will be trained by the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries, learning practical and theoretical tools to better address the climate crisis. This initiative will have the technical support of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
 
The course, "Climate Change and Green Recovery for Rural Women," is part of the Digital Inclusion and Access to Agricultural Information Program for Decision-Making on Climate Change, known as "Trained to Transform." This Uruguayan government program aims to support the adaptation of productive systems to climate change through the use of information and communication technologies.
 
The course content was jointly developed by the Ministry and IICA, with IICA playing a leading technical role in the initiative. The first of four course editions will begin in October, each with 400 available spots. The training will be virtual, self-managed, facilitated by IICA and the Ministry, and free for participants. It will offer different levels of digital skills training and provide internet-connected devices to those participants who need them.
 
The course was presented in Montevideo during Expo Prado, Uruguay's largest annual agricultural fair, held since 1913.
 
"This digital training plan for women is very important. It gives them the opportunity to have a simple technological device that opens many doors. It’s about training, connecting with other women, learning, and working," highlighted Mercedes Yacosa, Director of the General Directorate of Rural Development in Uruguay.
 
"When we decided to move forward with the National Family Farming Plan (PNAF), we started looking for strategic allies to see how and who would carry it out," recalled Fernanda Maldonado, Director General of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries, while emphasizing IICA's experience in providing rural women with access to training tools.
 
Braulio Cantera from IICA explained that the Directorate of Rural Development of Uruguay called on IICA to collaborate in training rural women on climate change, enabling them to make informed decisions. "We have been in contact with rural women in the field to learn from their firsthand experiences and take advantage of the benefits of technology. This course is made by rural women, for rural women, as they themselves will provide testimonies and offer applied solutions to combat the climate crisis."