Today, Monday 25 November, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. As part of the commemorative events of 25N, a week ago UPF launched the campaign “For a university free of gender-based violence”, promoted by the University’s Equality and Diversity Unit. The campaign includes several information and awareness-raising activities against so-called everyday gender-based violence, in reference to the behaviours, attitudes and actions that perpetuate gender inequality and affect women in their daily lives. We experience this violence in our daily lives, for example when a woman is made to doubt her perceptions or feelings or when she is repeatedly interrupted or ignored while she is speaking. 

With a strong symbolic element, the graphic image of the campaign features an illustration of a mosquito. The idea behind this image is the following metaphor: just like every day gender-based violence, mosquitoes can be invisible and seem harmless; but they can become a plague, bite anyone and everyone non-stop and have painful consequences. The campaign’s concept of a plague alludes to the structural problems posed by gender-based violence that affect different social spheres, like the university.

With this campaign, we aim to raise awareness of the need to fight collectively, with determination and every day against male chauvinism and gender-based violence in all its forms. The message of the campaign stresses the importance of not underestimating or silencing the different manifestations of male chauvinism, regardless of their intensity. The campaign aims to foster a university free of gender-based violence, by identifying it and working to prevent and eradicate it.

What resources does UPF put at your disposal to prevent and address gender-based violence?

Another goal of the campaign is to inform all groups in the university community (students, teaching and research staff, and technical, management and administration and services staff) of all the resources available to them to prevent, address and treat gender-based violence and inequalities and LGBTIphobia.

In this regard, it should be remembered that anyone who witnesses or is affected by any situation of gender-based or LGBTIphobic violence can contact the UPF Equality and Diversity Unit (tel.: 93 542 28 55 / [email protected]). This unit is responsible for dealing with all queries and complaints concerning gender-based violence and LGBTIphobic violence and for ensuring compliance with the UPF Protocol to Prevent and Act against GBV, Sexual Harassment and Harassment based on Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Gender Expression. It also offers the following advice and accompaniment to the entire university community:

• Accompaniment to cover educational adaptation requirements needed by specific groups, such as students suffering gender-based violence, including dependent children of women who are suffering it in the family environment; in situations of family violence due to their sexual orientation, identity or gender expression; in processes of gender transition or in medical processes resulting from being intersex, among others.
• Psychological support service for people who are victims of gender-based or LGBTIphobic violence.
• Financial support through the Equality Fund, jointly managed by the offices of the vice-rectors responsible for students and equality.
• Free transfer of academic records in cases of gender-based violence, sexual harassment, on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, in accordance with the two agreements signed in 2019 and 2021 for this purpose between the Catalan universities and the Government of Catalonia.
• Information and referral, if necessary, to different external resources and services for the prevention and treatment of gender-based and LGBTIphobic violence.

A multi-channel campaign

To raise awareness among the university community about the importance of eradicating everyday gender-based violence and informing of the resources available at UPF to combat it, the campaign will be disseminated through a variety of channels. Firstly, posters have been made, which can be seen at the different UPF campuses and buildings. In addition to the generic poster, another one is specifically dedicated to showing twelve types of everyday gender-based violence. Many can occur in any social sphere and others are more specific to the educational or university environment, such as those related to the following messages: “When you do not dare to participate in class because you think that your opinion is not valid enough and only male voices are heard” or “When you see that the bibliography has many more citations of male than female authors”.

In addition, digital and audiovisual content will be broadcast via the UPF website and social networks and those of the Equality and Diversity Unit. Through these channels, the dissemination has begun of a video and an animated banner, four videos with brief testimonies from the student campaign ambassadors, as well as photographs and carousels of images about the 25N campaign.

To get updated information about the campaign or share its contents, you can follow these social networks:

Instagram: @upfbarcelona / @upfigualtat

TikTok: @upfbarcelona

X: @upfbarcelona / @upfigualtat