Creating bonds of trust aims to raise awareness about female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage (FM) in order to contribute to their eradication by working with two groups: on one hand, with migrant women, asylum seekers, and/or refugees, and on the other hand, with professionals in the socio-health, education, law enforcement, and third-sector fields who are in constant contact with individuals from communities where these practices are prevalent.
Raising awareness is the most effective way to prevent both practices (FGM and FM) and to encourage communities to abandon them.
The project’s objectives are related to the target groups:
- Training and raising awareness among African and African-descendant women residing in Spain and at risk of social exclusion.
- Training and raising awareness among socio-healthcare personnel who professionally interact with individuals from communities affected by these practices (healthcare professionals, NGO staff, judges, educators, police, and security personnel).
To achieve the first objective, we are conducting the following activities:
- Empowerment and sexual health workshops.
The goal is to provide self-awareness, empowerment, and sexual health tools. These activities are conducted in different geographic locations (Madrid, Bilbao, Pamplona, and Barcelona). The workshops have a positive focus and are centered on rights, offering women a framework of safety and authority over their bodies and decisions.
- Workshops and training on citizenship and rights.
The goal is to provide administrative support to African women, explaining the administrative resources available to them in terms of healthcare, education, and citizenship. These workshops serve as a regulatory framework for those who, despite residing in Spain for several years, still lack knowledge of the administrative environment and their rights.
- Professional training course in intercultural mediation.
A 40-hour course in intercultural mediation aimed at working with Health, Interior, and Migration services. A professional training course for African migrant women on the theme of intercultural mediation is planned. Role models within the African communities are needed to eliminate both female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
- Training workshops for public resources professionals.
Workshops and awareness conferences on FGM and FM in various contexts and locations throughout Spain. These are intended for professionals in contact with African women, usually from public and private healthcare, migration, and interior services. The objective is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of these forms of violence against women and address them from an intersectional perspective. The workshops will take place throughout the peninsula.
- Course in the management of FGM and FM for professionals.
The course aims to provide a theoretical and practical framework for professionals from collaborating entities to address violent practices against women and girls. It will cover tools for recognizing these practices, communicating with survivors, and specific action frameworks. The course will have a predominantly practical focus, offering public services staff the tools to properly handle survivors without causing further victimization, minimizing harm, and, where possible, offering possibilities for reparation. The course will be delivered in a semi-presential format in Valencia, in collaboration with Red Aminata.
- State platform for the fight against FGM and FM.
A platform of associations of African women working on the prevention of mutilation and forced marriage to develop collaborative working spaces. The platform currently includes:
With the support of
Leave A Comment