The WeLaR webinar “Social Innovations in/with/for the Welfare State in Rural Areas”, hosted in collaboration with the European School of Social Innovation (ESSI), brought together 25 researchers from across Europe. The 3 June 2025 event showcased WeLaR research case studies on social innovations and explored how these initiatives are reshaping welfare systems and addressing rural challenges, especially for marginalised groups.
Ursula Holtgrewe (ZSI) opened the webinar with insights from WeLaR research. She introduced case studies showing how initiatives support marginalised groups such as people with disabilities, migrant care workers and rural women. The presentation highlighted both opportunities and barriers for social innovations, including institutional support, funding limitations and political constraints. Overall, she emphasised that while social innovations vary in ambition, they often share practical strategies and require strong connections to public institutions to create lasting impact. The presentation is available here.
Laurène Thil (HIVA/KU Leuven) shared findings from a WeLaR case study on care farms in Belgium, a social innovation supporting individuals experiencing burnout. Through nature-based activities like gardening, animal care, and selling produce, participants engage in meaningful work that supports mental health recovery and reintegration into the labour market. The model connects farmers, healthcare providers, and researchers to reduce the risk of disability and relieve pressure on the healthcare system. Despite challenges in scaling and regional disparities, Thil emphasised care farming’s strong potential for broader adoption.The presentation is available here.
Sonja Avlijaš (University of Belgrade) explored the WeLaR case study of the Hobotnica (Octopus) project, a grassroots initiative helping women in rural Serbia deal with the heavy burden of unpaid care work. Created by the women’s group ŽUKO during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project offered eight flexible services, such as mental health support, legal help, digital training, and transport, to reduce isolation and support women’s wellbeing. The project focused on inclusion, adaptability, and listening to the real needs of women, offering new opportunities and challenging the limits of Serbia’s strict welfare system. While it sparked national debate and inspired some local action, long-term support is still lacking due to funding and legal barriers. See the presentation here.
Stella Wolter and Ursula Holtgrewe presented findings from a WeLaR study on live-in care in Austria, focusing on initiatives to address the challenges faced by mostly migrant women working under precarious self-employment. Known as “24-hour care,” this model is especially common in rural and peri-urban areas with ageing populations and limited public services, and leaves workers isolated, overworked and underprotected. The presentation highlighted a support ecosystem of initiatives, volunteers, peer groups, and activist networks offering legal aid, information, and skill-building. Despite grassroots collaboration and visibility, political and structural barriers limit deeper reforms in the care regime and leave migrant workers in precarious positions. The presentation is available here.
The event concluded with reflections from Franziska Görmar (Leibniz-Institut für Länderkunde, Project DICES), followed by a Q&A session and group discussion.
