Gender consultancy and implementationof community plans and protocols

The Noctámbul@s-FSC Gender Consultancy is a project on gender, related forms of violence and community protocols that arose from the actions of the Observatorio Noctámbul@s of Fundación Salud y Comunidad (FSC) based on interventions in the field of drug use and sexual violence in leisure settings. It has been developed mainly in Catalonia, and also in the Basque Country and Navarre.

The project consists of supporting local councils and other local bodies in drawing up equality plans, providing advice and training on gender, drawing up protocols for the prevention and detection of, and response to, sexual violence that may occur in leisure settings, and designing preventive campaigns or preventive intervention guides.

In the case of municipal or joint municipal plans or protocols, the project begins with an analysis of the situation and a diagnosis to understand the circumstances of each area, which makes it possible to draft the plan or protocol around the different areas of prevention/awareness-raising, care and intervention. It is drawn up using a participatory methodology in working groups made up of professionals, organisations and groups of young people from the area, who lead the process.

The intervention includes different actions to:

• Prevent gender violence or sexual violence: actions and campaigns adapted to the situation and needs of the municipality are proposed.
• Detect and intervene effectively if assaults occur.
• Define how interaction with the media should take place.

The Noctámbul@s-FSC Gender Consultancy has drawn up and implemented protocols against sexual violence in public leisure spaces, mainly in Catalonia: in the city of Tarragona, Ribera d’Ebre, Terra Alta, Calafell and Vendrell (Tarragona); the Vall d’Aran, Torregrossa and La Pobla de Segur (Lleida); St. Cugat, Berga, Dosrius, Navàs, Premià de Dalt, Sant Joan Despí, Masquefa and Sant Joan de Vilatorrada (Barcelona). It has also drawn up city-wide and internal equality plans for, among others, Torredembarra City Council; studies and advice on preventive campaigns in Pamplona and Vitoria-Gasteiz; and advice and training programmes on gender and drugs for the Government of Andorra.