This deliverable presents the policy recommendations developed within the GRASS CEILING project, a Horizon Europe initiative aimed at addressing the structural inequalities and systemic barriers rural women face in agriculture and innovation across Europe. These recommendations outline a comprehensive and forward-looking roadmap to advance gender equality in rural areas throughout the European Union.

The recommended actions are grounded in extensive research, participatory engagement through the European Policy Forum for women-led innovation in agriculture and rural areas, and co-creation processes carried out across nine participating countries. This work, conducted between June 2024 and June 2025, reflects a collaborative and inclusive approach to inform policy design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. They are intended to inform EU, national, and regional policy frameworks in the current and forthcoming programming periods, particularly in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the post-2027 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the articulation of the Vision for Agriculture and Food and the review of the EU Gender Equality Strategy.

At the core of the deliverable is a roadmap for action designed to operate across short, medium-, and long-term timescales, aligned with key milestones in 2025, 2030, and 2035, and they are structured around 7 interlinked focus areas: legal and policy frameworks, financial support, data and monitoring, innovation, knowledge exchange, governance, and cultural change. These recommendations call for a fundamental shift from soft law to binding commitments on gender equality, reinforced by dedicated investments, clearer accountability mechanisms, and recognition of women’s contributions beyond traditional agricultural roles.