The delegate of the ONCE in Andalusia, Ceuta, and Melilla, Cristóbal Martínez, together with the president of the Territorial Council of the ONCE, Isabel Viruet, have delivered to the counselor of Agriculture, Fishing, Water, and Rural Development, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, the coupon that the organization reserves for the International Day of Rural Women this Thursday, October 15.
There will be five million coupons that will spread "the image and the work that women who live and work in rural areas, many with disabilities, do, and their enormous contribution to preventing the population from abandoning these environments and maintaining activity," as stated by the ONCE in a note released this Monday.
With this initiative, the organization aims to "highlight the importance of the economic, social, and cultural contribution that women in rural areas make and their decisive contribution to food security, well-being, and building better societies."
The ONCE Social Group reminds that it employs "more than 700 women with disabilities in rural areas and empowers many others with different types of training," as emphasized by the entity.
"This coupon means a lot because it is giving visibility to the rural area, which is the best environment we have to live in," stated Isabel Viruet, who emphasized that "there is much to be done for rural women and, in particular, for women with disabilities in rural areas, because they are contributing an enormous grain of sand."
The president of the Territorial Council, who claims her rural origin in Carratraca (Málaga), has called for joint work. "We need to unite and strengthen to seek digital training that also allows them to grow and find new ways to develop. We cannot forget this, and we must be there, not once a year, but every day of the year, because they are the ones who ultimately put healthy food on our table, and without them, we are left without meat, without eggs, without milk, and without fruits, without vegetables, and without anything we need," she indicated.
In her opinion, disability is "an even greater barrier in rural areas." "First because it is not visible, and second because it is not well seen that women with disabilities contribute their free labor to the field, to agriculture or to livestock, when they do, but it is evidently a bit embarrassing to say that a woman who is blind, at a given moment, is picking olives or shelling almonds, or doing tasks inside the house that they always do, but that are not recognized either socially or economically," added the territorial manager.
Recognition from the Andalusian counselor
Counselor Fernández-Pacheco has expressed his gratitude to the ONCE for this coupon which represents, in his words, "a recognition of the women who live and work in the villages," whom he considers "essential to keep our rural areas alive, both for their contribution to economic activity and food security as well as for their role in the fight against depopulation and in generational change."
In this line, and as reported by the Junta in a statement, the counselor has emphasized the importance of the rural environment in Andalusia, where 94 percent of municipalities are considered rural, and has stressed the relevance of female presence in the agricultural sector, as almost 30 percent (27.3%) of women residing in rural areas of Andalusia are dedicated to agriculture.
He also highlighted that this October 15 will have a "special significance," as 2026 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of the Farmer, focusing attention on "the essential role that women play in the field and in food production."
Fernández-Pacheco wanted to convey his recognition and gratitude to all rural women in Andalusia, who "work, undertake and create opportunities and contribute every day to ensuring that Andalusian villages continue to have life and future."
International Day of Rural Women
The International Day of Rural Women was proclaimed by the United Nations on December 18, 2007, and began to be celebrated on October 15, 2008. The UN emphasizes "the decisive role and contribution of rural women in promoting agricultural and rural development, improving food security, and eradicating rural poverty."
Likewise, the United Nations urges to "implement measures that improve the lives of rural women seeking their political and socioeconomic empowerment and guaranteeing their rights to full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels," as recalled by ONCE, whose Social Group works "in this line with actions that promote inclusion, access to training, and multiple activities of daily life, with special emphasis on employment for women with disabilities."
The "boost to training as a means of empowerment and access to employment" constitutes one of the lines of action of Inserta Empleo, the area of Fundación ONCE specialized in this field.
The Inserta job bank brings together 33,638 people with disabilities registered in municipalities of less than 5,000 inhabitants, of which 37% are women (12,446).
Moreover, "long-term" projects such as the initiative 'AuténTICas' are developed, aimed at "reducing the digital divide in the rural environment, as lower training in digital skills is an important barrier to achieving equality of opportunities and having active social and community participation," they point out from ONCE. In these digital literacy workshops, participants receive training at different levels, which "improves their employability and personal autonomy."
'AutenTICas' started in 2025 and has already trained 147 women with disabilities living in towns of less than 5,000 inhabitants in Extremadura, before recently expanding to municipalities in Catalonia (Calafell and Valls) and Castilla-La Mancha (La Roda, Daimiel, Ocaña, Torrijos, and Alovera).
Similarly, the 'LiderArte' project "empowers unemployed women with disabilities from the rural environment by improving self-esteem, emotional management, and helping them to lead their lives from a conscious and integral vision, through 'mindfulness', 'coaching', and personal development techniques." Since January 2025, 63 women residing in small towns in Extremadura and Andalusia have gone through this program.
In the field of direct employment, Ilunion promotes the 'Raíces' ('Contact Center') project, in which 63 women work, 30 of them with disabilities, with work centers in Albacete (Tabara), Ávila (Mijares), Palencia (Guardo), Cáceres (Miajadas and Arroyo de la Luz), and Cuenca (Mota del Cuervo).
In parallel, Ilunion employs 687 women in different lines of business, mainly in industrial services, more than half of whom have disabilities, located in municipalities that are not provincial capitals.
Finally, from ONCE "the drive" for the project 'Sales with Talent in Women' is maintained, which provides support to women sales agents of lottery products and promotes new hires, always of women with disabilities, who already represent 33% of the total workforce of this professional group. Of the 7,052 women sellers, 260 carry out their work in towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, as the organization has specified.