On 5 May 2026, the first INSPIRE Workshop under the Smart Village Lab “Kobieca Strefa Rozwoju” (Women’s Development Zone) was organised at the District Labour Office in Parczew, Poland. The workshop focused on identifying and selecting local social economy solutions supporting rural women and vulnerable groups in the Parczew district.

A key part of the workshop was the presentation of the INSPIRE Services and Social Economy Atlas on Rural Empowerment, which introduced participants to examples of social services and social economy initiatives from rural areas across Europe. The Atlas served as both an inspiration and a practical learning tool, helping participants better understand how innovative but realistic solutions can address local challenges related to women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship, tourism, education and community development.

The workshop strengthened participants’ knowledge and confidence regarding:

• identification of feasible local solutions,

• understanding of successful European examples,

• social economy and community-based initiatives,

• digital and innovative approaches supporting rural inclusion.

Participants discussed and evaluated several ideas relevant to educational workshops, tourism-related activities, local products and women-led initiatives. The meeting concluded with participatory voting aimed at selecting priority solutions to be further developed during the upcoming second workshop, through implementation roadmaps.