Analysis and Characterization of Rural Development Best Practices Led by Women in Spain

Despite the significant progress rural areas have experienced in recent years, the uncertainties that define them continue to pose a challenge for territorial development. Rural development Best Practices are presented as optimal opportunities to address various issues and promote territorial growth. This article presents a thematic and territorial analysis of different Best Practices in the Spanish rural context, with a primary focus on the role of women in general, and particularly in entrepreneurial cases, as it is predominantly entrepreneurial initiatives that allow them to remain in rural areas and successfully pursue their life projects. The results suggest that territorial development based on these experiences has considerable room for improvement, leading to a proposal connected to the redefinition of the criteria for Best Practices.