Report of extensionist experience: “vixe mainha”, empowering rural women

Abstract

Rural women are discovering their strength and ability to transform their communities, cultivating not only the land but also hope and equality through transformative education. The objective of this work is to report the extension experience carried out by “Vixe Mainha Extension Project: empowerment for rural women.” As a methodology, in addition to bibliographic research, a qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews to support instrument for the preparation of this experience report. The project involved 25 (twenty-five) women from a rural community in the municipality of Itaberaba-BA and was carried out in three stages: (i) mapping the main productive axes; (ii) conducting continuing education courses and workshops; (iii) implementation of field demonstration units, such as agricultural experimentation. This work was conducted by staff and students from the Instituto Federal Baiano Campus Itaberaba. The results indicated that the initiative contributed to the empowerment process of the participating women. The initiative is seen as a bridge between the educational institution and society, with great interdisciplinary, educational, scientific, and political relevance. This work had a significant impact on the empowerment of rural women in the Itaberaba community. Through training, they expanded their knowledge and presented individual and collective changes, contributing to the construction of a more balanced society in terms of rights and opportunities, and gender justice.