The management model of these relations is decentralised: the Directorate of International Relations coordinates the city’s presence in general networks, while the sectoral areas lead its participation in networks that work on specific issues. 

Barcelona City Council currently participates in more than sixty international networks. The Directorate of Feminism and LGBTI Services is active in both general and specialised networks and includes a cross-cutting gender perspective.

The general networks in which it participates include Eurocities, the leading network of European cities, with more than 200 members, and CIDEU (Ibero-American Centre for Strategic Urban Development), which promotes strategic urban planning that includes the gender perspective.

In turn, the specific networks with Barcelona as one of the founding cities deserve special attention:  CHANGE (City Hub and Network for Gender Equity), devoted to fostering gender equality; RCN (Rainbow Cities Network), focused on the exchange of best practices to increase the impact of local LGBTI policies; and the Local and Regional Governments Time Network, made up of cities, metropolises and other local and regional governments with the shared goal of fostering time policies.

The Directorate of Feminism and LGBTI Services also works with the Directorate for Global Justice to include the gender perspective in its Steering Plan and participates in international cooperation projects, such as Trenzando Cuidados, a long-standing initiative aimed at enhancing public care policies.

How the gender perspective can be taken into account in international relations and global justice

• Ensuring women’s participation in all phases of projects (design, implementation and assessment).

• Including specific goals and initiatives to foster gender equality.

• Guaranteeing the use of gender-sensitive indicators.

• Bringing visibility to and valuing tasks and roles primarily carried out by women, such as care work.