The Ministry of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families, and Equality, through the Andalusian Women’s Institute (IAM), has showcased to two European delegations the pioneering programs and resources of Andalusia in the field of equality and support for victims of gender-based violence. These delegations are working on two projects funded by the European Union (EU) to improve institutional responses to victims and promote gender perspective policies.
In this way, about twenty representatives from associations from Portugal, France, Croatia, Lithuania, Cyprus, and the Netherlands, among others, have participated in a meeting at the Andalusian Women’s Institute where they have been able to firsthand experience the services provided by the Andalusian government for women and their children to address gender-based violence. Additionally, accompanied by IAM Director Olga Carrión, they visited a shelter.
These associations are involved in the ‘2Gether4Victims’ (2G4V) project. This is a European initiative coordinated by ‘Victim Support Europe’, co-financed by the European Union, aimed at improving support for victims of gender-based violence through effective coordination between general and specialized services, and the adoption of a gender-sensitive approach. ‘Victim Support Europe’ is a Belgian organization that promotes the rights and services of crime victims throughout Europe, working to enhance European and international laws, and the capacity of support services.
During the working sessions, officials from the Andalusian Women’s Institute explained the functioning of the network of resources available to both women victims of gender-based violence and their children for comprehensive recovery. They highlighted the women’s centers located in both capitals and municipalities, totaling 190 across Andalusia.
Meeting at IAM with members of the European delegations.
The IAM Director stated that «this network of centers is the largest in Europe in supporting women and offers psychological support, legal advice, socio-labor support, as well as information and activities to promote women’s participation in public life«. These centers assisted around 119,000 Andalusian women in 2024, approximately 30% for issues related to gender-based violence.
Another crucial support service for victims known to this European delegation is the women’s helpline 900 200 999 «for its availability 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, connection with the Andalusian emergency service 112, ability to assist victims in over 50 languages, rapid response to any critical situation, proximity, and easy accessibility,» explained Olga Carrión. Last year, this resource handled over 44,100 calls, an average of 120 calls per day. Additionally, the 24-hour crisis centers for victims of sexual violence and the services available for women, including minors, and their children aim to facilitate their physical, emotional, and psychological recovery.
Participants in the ‘2Gether4Victims’ project also visited one of the shelters for victims of gender-based violence. Carrión explained that «this shelter network is based on three levels of care: emergency centers, shelters, and supervised apartments. They provide comprehensive care including psychological, socio-labor support, and legal advice to help women recover from the effects of violence and protect them from potential risks.» In 2024, they accommodated 1,279 women and 989 minors in Andalusia.
Promoting Equality
Likewise, the Andalusian Women’s Institute participated in the working meeting held at the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and European Funds with the European delegation driving the ‘Gender Flaship’ project. This initiative aims to assess gender impact and address inequalities to facilitate the implementation of gender perspective integration tools, such as Gender Perspective Budgets, Gender Impact Assessments, and Gender Action Plans, areas where Andalusia has extensive experience.
Expertise France, the French public agency that designs and implements international technical cooperation projects, is implementing this project, also funded by the European Union, in collaboration with the European Commission, the European Institute for Gender Equality, and the European University Institute.
The Andalusian Women’s Institute detailed the Andalusian laws on equality and against gender-based violence, the Strategic Plan for Gender Equality between women and men in Andalusia 2022-2028, the work carried out by Gender Equality Units to promote gender mainstreaming in Junta’s equality policies, and programs to promote equality in companies, as well as the equality advisory service for companies ‘Equipa’, the Andalusian Excellence Mark in Equality, or professional training.