The 13th OECD Rural Development Conference was held in Cavan, Ireland on 28-30 September 2022 under the theme "Building Sustainable, Resilient and Thriving Rural Places". These are the presentations from the Conference parallel session "Reducing Gender Gaps: Improving opportunities for Women in the Rural Economy". For more information visit https://www.oecd.org/rural/rural-development-conference/.

1. Reducing Gender
Gaps: Improving
Opportunities for
Women in the
Rural Economy
29th September 2022
Julie Sinnamon
OECD Rural Development Conference

2. Agenda
• Irish initiatives to reduce
gender gap in start-ups:
• Enterprise Ireland High
Potential Start Up
Program (HPSU)
• ACORNS
• The Digital World
• Role of Legislation

3. High Potential/Technology
Start Ups (HPSUs)
2011: 7% of HPSUs had Female Founder
Initiative to increase female participation rate
Identified key barriers:
• Lack of role models
• Access to finance
• Access to networks
• Confidence
Set ambitious targets
Female only funds introduced
Revised promotional literature to speak to females
Spotlight on successes/role models
Introduced development programs to scale female
led projects
2021: 29% of HPSUs had Female Founder

4. ACORNS: Accelerating the
Creation of Rural Nascent
Start Ups *
• Supports early-stage entrepreneurs living in rural
Ireland
• 6-month program
• Interactive round tables facilitated by female
entrepreneurs who have started and successfully
grown businesses in rural Ireland
* Supported by Rural Innovation and Development Fund
through the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine

5. The Digital World
• Technology is key driver in providing opportunity for
women in the rural economy
• Facilitating remote work
• Establishing businesses
• Establishment of Regional Hubs in rural areas
• Ludgate – facilitating Rural Regeneration
• Remote working/Hotdesks, Business creation,
Education
• Reignite Programme: Supporting women to get
back into the workplace
• Covid: Potential game changer for rural Ireland

6. Thank You!!