Barcelona takes part in international network of cities fighting gender inequality

Barcelona is taking part in an international network of cities to combat gender inequality. Mayor Ada Colau participated in an event promoting the initiative by the Los Angeles City Hub And Network for Gender Equity (Change) and highlighted the need to promote feminist policies in all levels of governance. 

The initiative aims to share policies to fight sexism, misogyny and gender injustice in the urban areas and was attended by the heads of the local government of the cities of LA, London, Mexico City, Freetown, and Tokyo. 

During the presentation, Colau highlighted the feminist policies that her administration has implemented in the Catalan capital since she became mayor in 2015. Specifically, she highlighted the creation of a specific department of feminism and LGTBI, and a department of gender mainstreaming dedicated to integrating the gender perspective in all policies promoted by the Barcelona city council.

“We need to bring feminist policies to all spheres of government, from the budget to urban planning, to cultural policies to achieve parity in programming,” she noted.

Colau reflected that "unfortunately" the economic crisis provoked by the pandemic "does not affect men and women equally" and stressed the need for families to value “often invisible and unpaid” domestic work such as taking care of children and elderly. 

The mayor also lamented the rise in cases of women who have suffered gender-based violence during confinement. The city council has had to build up the services offered to victims and children “so that they are not alone," she said.

In the workplace, she noted that "it is women who, in a crisis like this, lose positions” and cover the needs that have been exposed. Colau also lamented the "double or triple" discrimination suffered by migrant and LGTBI women, with a “special mention” to trans women.