The Club Engages in Diverse Activities in Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th.
Barcelona, in its steadfast commitment to eradicating all forms of violence and sexist behavior towards women, has joined the reading of the Manifesto from the World of Sport. This initiative, led by the General Secretary of Sport and Physical Activity from the Generalitat, the Catalan regional government, was carried out by athletes from La Masia, players from the basketball youth teams, and Barça CBS players.
The inaugural reading of the manifesto occurred on a momentous occasion—the women’s Clásico against Real Madrid, marking Barça Women’s first game at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The event drew a crowd of 38,707 fans.
Leading up to the game against Real Madrid on November 19, Emma Gálvez from the women’s C team, Noa Benito from the U14C team, Elyiott Andreas from the U16B team, and Gerard Mullol from the U14A team all participated in reading a manifesto denouncing all forms of male violence towards women. The manifesto calls for a safe sports environment, free from violence, and built on principles of respect, safety, dignity, equality, and freedom for all individuals.
This meaningful event will be reprised on November 26 at the Palau Blaugrana before Barça’s basketball game in the Endesa League. Marc Puertas and Leo Encina, two players from the basketball U16A side, along with Irene Broncano and Karla Erjavec from Barça CBS, will conduct the reading of the manifesto.
Moreover, on Tuesday, November 28, during halftime of the Champions League game between Barça and FC Porto, Sidney Jose Só Delgado and Íker Rodríguez from the U16A team, along with Emma Gálvez from the women’s C team and Noa Benito from the U14C team, will present the manifesto to the fans in the stadium.
FC Barcelona aligns with the campaign “We Open Our Eyes to Male Violence. Take a Stand.” With the active participation of Alexia Putellas and Sergi Roberto, FC Barcelona expresses its endorsement of the institutional campaign led by the Generalitat against violence towards women. The campaign, titled “We Open Our Eyes to Male Violence. Take a Stand,” seeks to raise awareness about the prevalence of such actions and emphasizes appropriate responses for individuals who witness such incidents.
Specifically, the campaign encourages individuals to take action by reporting any instances of violence through the call to ‘open our eyes,’ symbolized by the campaign’s act of ‘taking off the blindfold.’
As part of the internal development initiative titled ‘Equality: Understand It to Eradicate Male Violence Towards Women,’ a training session was held at the Club’s facilities on November 23. Led by Marta Macias, a lawyer and expert in public policy related to gender equality from the Department of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion, the session aimed to create a shared understanding of equality between men and women within organizations. Topics included a reflection on the current situation and socialization of gender, an examination of the patriarchal system, and discussions on power dynamics, gender stereotypes, time utilization differences between genders, and domestic co-responsibility.
Demonstrating a strong commitment, the Club integrated its pledge to end violence towards women into the Club’s Statutes in October 2021. Specifically, this commitment is outlined in a section of Article 4T, recognizing the basic principles of humanity as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The provision declares that the Club will actively support equal rights and the dignity of individuals, promoting democratic rights of equality and non-discrimination. Additionally, it pledges to work towards eradicating all sexist, homophobic, and racist attitudes in both society and sport.