Olaya y Alejandra
Innovator
Cooperativa Ernaizu
Spain
Social
Farming
Remote rural areas
The innovation journey
The Ernaizu Cooperative is a company located in Basaburua, Navarra, Spain which works to improve the services available in the Basaburua valley and to promote its social cohesion, as well as its internal dynamics through the creation and distribution of new jobs. The latter, as well as promoting the environment, leisure, and care for the elderly, facilitate the necessary reconciliation between work and family. Ernaizu was founded by three women, who took over the only shop and bar in the valley. It is a workers’ cooperative whose aim is to create new quality jobs for the local population. They aspire to become a driving force for sustainable economic development, balanced and respectful of the environment and the culture of the area in which they work.
The innovation impact
One of their successes has been to manage, as women, to reconcile their personal and professional lives, while developing a spirit of solidarity with other women, trying to bring about a change in mentality regarding gender equality.
Of great value is the Cooperative’s strong focus on gender equality and on trying to change mindsets even though political groups in the valley do not promote this.
It is important to promote what women have managed to achieve and the methods used to do so, to create stimuli for others in the future.
The concept of overcoming bureaucratic difficulties is also important, to highlight how every path has its obstacles, but these can always be overcome.
The major impact of the organization is on the elderly from the area, who are heavily involved in their activities, while it is more difficult to engage with younger generations that often prefer to move to the bigger cities of the region.
Their focus on gender equality does not refrain from the engagement of the male community of the area as their 2 workers are male.