The Barcelona government measure to keep the city free of male violence towards women provides a roadmap of 11 measures and over 100 actions to forge alliances and seek the involvement of everybody, particularly men, in the struggle against violence. The measure promotes freer, healthier and more equal relationships, taking a step further to improve detection, care and recovery from sexist violence.
The eleven measures and more than a hundred actions are aimed at creating alliances and getting everybody involved, particularly men, in the fight against violence. The measure promotes freer, healthier and more equal relationships, taking a step further to improve detection, care and recovery from sexist violence.
Action in education
A series of actions aimed at people of school age have been introduced in a bid to foster sexual and affective education and transform feminine and masculine models.
- A total of 18 schools and nearly 100 teachers make up the Network of Schools for Equality, Co-education and Non-discrimination, while 27 schools and 524 teachers are involved in the programme ‘Schools for Equality and Diversity’.
- In addition, over 1,800 children took part in the 15th edition of the Public Audience with City’s Youth: ‘Educating in Equality’.
- Guides have been created to address issues such as hetero-centric school harassment and the promotion of sexual health in open centres in the city.
- There’s also backing for programmes and activities on affective and sexual action in the sphere of education, jointly promoted with the Barcelona Public Health Agency. More than 2,000 students have taken part in programmes such as ‘Parlem-ne, no et tallis’, for the prevention of unprotected sexual relations, and ‘1,2,3, emoció!’, for the prevention of conduct which poses a risk.
Action in the sphere of work
This first year has seen support given to 63 companies wishing to implement measures to foster equality. In addition, a process has been started to boost awareness and compliance with equality measures, including prevention and tackling harassment, among the companies at the Technology Park and those at the Almogavers business incubator.
Labour rights defence points (PDDL) have also had a boost, through the contracting of people from the field of law with specific knowledge on sexual and gender-based harassment in the sphere of work.
Women’s support services keep going
Women’s support and advice services have kept going throughout the pandemic to prevent and attend to cases of male violence during the lockdown, helping the most vulnerable women and implementing a series of specific actions:
- Extra effort has gone into making resources available to women who have no link with services and to detect possible situations where violence may be emerging.
- Support for community networks has also been stepped up to help with prevention, detection and support in cases of sexist violence. Since the start of the state of emergency, 38 support networks have been contacted and responses provided for 72 requests.
- In the period up to September, direct support services operated by the SARA attended to 1,300 women. Follow-up with women users was stepped up through more phone calls, the goal being to provide necessary psychological and social support.
- The UTEH ran a specific awareness campaign on human trafficking and strengthened its action against LGBTI-phobia, while the Men’s Care Service (SAH) extended its phone support hours.
- A phone service was set up to resolve legal questions linked to sexist violence.
- An agreement was signed with a tourist accommodation operator to ensure emergency accommodation places for women suffering make violence.
- Shelter for people suffering male violence was also strengthened, with 30 new places.
- Temporary aid for rent payments was promoted for women leaving shelters once their recovery process concludes.
- The Centralised Telecare Operation was adapted to build in the SARA agenda to create a unique switchboard service in 2021.
Action in the municipal sphere
The City Council has got its own protocol to prevent, detect, act and resolve sexual and gender-based harassment. It also collaborates with the institution’s participating entities so that they all have an internal equality plan. In addition, to guarantee the involvement of all City Council staff, obligatory training on sexual and gender-based harassments is also provided.