Awareness-raising programme on violence and resistance of women in Senegal. Terrassa City Council

The program consists of a Development Education (EpD) project, awareness-raising, and political advocacy funded by the Terrassa City Council (Barcelona). The main objective is to sensitize the population of this city about the violence and resistances that mark the lives of women in the Departments of Pikine and Guédiawaye (outskirts of Dakar, Senegal), from a Gender and Human Rights perspective. The project aims to make visible both the gender-based violence (GBV) experienced by women in this part of the world and the resistances or mechanisms to confront it in an empowering framework. Additionally, the initiative seeks to show GBV as a systemic and transcultural phenomenon and to highlight the existence of African feminist movements.

In 2019, as part of the action “Violences and Resistances of the women of Dakar, Senegal”, a study was presented in the city of Terrassa on the situation of rights and political self-organization of women in the Departments of Pikine and Guédiawaye (outskirts of Dakar) in relation to community decision-making. This involved collaboration with entities in Terrassa – the Senegalese Residents Association (ARS) and AMICAL, Senegalese women of Terrassa – and entities in Senegal.

In 2020, within the framework of the action “Young Women and Leaders: gender equity and sexual and reproductive rights for the social community transformation of Pikine and Guédiawaye (Dakar, Senegal)”, the project aims to make visible the leadership of young women in the process of social community transformation in the departments of Pikine and Guédiawaye (Dakar, Senegal) for a life free from violence and for sexual and reproductive rights. In this regard, two actions will be carried out:

1. Dissemination through virtual media of a report on young women’s organizations in this territory, in collaboration with the ARS and AMICAL. From a gender perspective, the proposal seeks to establish dialogue bridges to address systemic transcultural issues such as gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive rights.
2. It is also planned to carry out a public presentation of the actions that will be undertaken within the framework of the cooperation project “Strengthening Capacities and Institutional and Community Participation in Relation to Gender-Based Violence and Sexual and Reproductive Rights in the Departments of Pikine and Guédiawaye (Dakar, Senegal)”. This action will take place during the likely virtual sessions “Senegal Closer” organized by the ARS and AMICAL.

Overall, the project is part of the promotion and defense of human rights and gender equity within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the objectives and strategic lines outlined in the Terrassa City Council’s Master Plan for Solidarity and International Cooperation.

The Fundación Salud y Comunidad has a long history in the field of International Cooperation for Development in the African continent. In addition to Senegal, the entity has spent over 10 years cooperating in the Kabylie region (Algeria), within the framework of a project on gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive rights.