On June 5th, we held the conference “Social Innovation as Public Policy: Mentoring with a Gender Perspective Against Gender-Based Violence” at the Palau Falguera Auditorium in Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Barcelona).
The event, organized in collaboration with the Sant Feliu de Llobregat City Council, allowed us to share the results of our five-year project in the municipality and to establish social mentoring as a stable tool within public equality policies, consolidating its position as a resource within the system for responding to gender-based violence.
Throughout the morning, we combined first-hand accounts from mentors and mentees interviewed by journalist Olga Viza with two panels of professionals from Sant Feliu and the Basque Country. These panels addressed the collaborative work between specialized services and community response, as well as the lessons learned and alliances built over the years. A final roundtable discussion brought together mentors from Sant Feliu to share their perspectives, experiences, and lessons learned. It was a day filled with emotion, collaborative work, and the realization that social mentoring with a gender perspective can transform lives.
The event was opened by the Mayor of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Lourdes Borrell, and officially closed by the Minister of Equality and Feminism of the Government of Catalonia, Eva Menor.
We concluded the day with a visual narrative of the conference by graphic facilitator Mercedes Corretge, and with a commemoration of the work of poet Lucía Sánchez Saornil by communicator Victoria Rico.
We would like to thank the Sant Feliu de Llobregat City Council and the professionals from SIAD, SIE Baix Llobregat, and the Local Police for their involvement. Most especially, we want to thank all the mentors and mentees who have made these five years possible: this event was, above all, yours.
