Social Rights, Culture, Education and Cycles of Life

As part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November, we’re boosting our municipal commitment in the fight against gender violence with the campaign “Ask, talk, listen”, which focuses on the need to encourage, support and empathise with women who voice their suffering and anxiety.

Over the last few years, studies on the impact of male violence towards women have provided data indicating how this is a structural problem in our society. These are figures that highlight a global reality with an intergenerational reach, such as the data set out in the Survey on Male Violence in Catalonia (2021):

• 79.3% of women have suffered male violence
• 38.8% of cases of male violence occur on social media
• 82.7% of young people have suffered at least one situation of sexual violence

In Barcelona we are also familiar with the context of sexual violence, the most common types, thanks to the support provided by leading hospitals in the city, which have specialist units to attend to anybody suffering sexual aggression:

• In 2022, the Hospital Clínic attended to 345 women over the age of 16 who had been raped, nearly one a day.
• From November 2021 to November 2022, the Hospital de la Vall Hebron attended to 341 children aged 16 or under who had been the victims of sexual violence.

Behind each of these figures is a story. A story that could be experienced first-hand or by somebody close to us. Listen, ask and talk about male violence in all its forms, which can be abuse, harassment at work, physical and sexual violence, intimidation or insults. These can occur at home or in the street, with partners or ex-partners, relatives, workmates or strangers. Between us, let’s create safe spaces where talking is the first step to combating violence towards women.

Free and confidential services to tackle male violence

A structural problem requires a strong response from public administrations. In Barcelona we have teams which specialise in attending to women and children who suffer male violence, with specific services such as the Care, Recovery and Shelter Service (SARA) and the Women’s Information and Support Points (PIAD), and also the victim-assistance service (SAV) run by the City Police and the teams at the Hospital Clínic and the Hospital de la Vall Hebron.

More information on the municipal services and resources from Barcelona Antimasclista.