The care unit for victims of sexist violence in the cultural sector begins to operate | Culture

The Prevention and Attention Unit against Violence in the Audiovisual and Cultural Sector begins to operate this Thursday, October 10, as announced by the Ministry of Culture, promoter of this initiative with the Film Academy, with an initial budget of 30,000 euros that It will expand to 60,000 starting in 2025. This new entity offers primary psychological and legal care for women who have suffered some type of sexist violence in the cultural sector anywhere in Spain. The Aspacia Foundation, “a feminist non-governmental organization,” as described in the statement, will be in charge of handling the cases “confidentially and free of charge” and without the need for a prior judicial complaint.

The Film Academy has chosen Aspacia, with the approval of Culture based on an agreement signed by both parties, to guarantee that an independent organization manages the victim care service. In this way, ministry sources explain, women who turn to the association’s staff will have their anonymity guaranteed with respect to the rest of the audiovisual sector. In no case, say Culture, the ministry and the rest of the entities that have participated in this initiative and make up the Observatory of Gender Equality in the Field of Culture (Women of the Music Industry and the Academy of Arts Escénicas) will have access to the data of women who make an appointment and, finally, decide to continue with Aspacia’s advice.

The unit, its promoters describe, will serve “women workers in the audiovisual and cultural field, in any of their departments or trades, who require information on the subject, who are experiencing or have experienced a situation of sexual violence or who have been victims of harassment.” or abuse, including sexual harassment, abuse of power and gender-based humiliation.” Those who have witnessed these situations or who know that these cases are occurring at their jobs can also come to this entity. Attention is extended to students of film, theater, art and any other cultural sector.

To access the service, women will have to make an appointment by calling 34 651 684 584 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also send a e-mail to this address: Unidadviolenciasmachistas@fundacion-aspacia.org. At the moment, the sources consulted explain, there are no further details on how this assistance will be articulated. It is also not known for now if this association, in collaboration with the Academy and Culture, will issue reports from time to time with the results of the aid provided.

The unit will focus on cases of sexist violence, although last May Culture did not rule out more actions for protection against other forms of discrimination and harassment of which men can also be victims.

A part of the budget assigned to the unit will, therefore, go to Aspacia. The rest of the money will be allocated to its operation, different training initiatives for the sector, the drafting of protocols against sexist violence in the cultural sector and the communication of all these processes. This same month of October, Cultura announces that “a pilot test will be carried out at the Film Academy and, subsequently, different sessions will be held, both in person and on-line in different entities throughout Spain.”

The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, advanced the initiative after the publication in EL PAÍS last January and February of two investigations in which six women accused the filmmaker Carlos Vermut of sexual violence. “We want to support the brave victims who have dared to raise their voices against sexist violence. And we want to respect your decisions. It is a space open to all of them, and it will be a safe space because their decision and privacy are respected,” the minister said last May during the presentation of the unit.

In Spain, a similar initiative is already underway from the Catalan Film Academy. Last July, after two years of operation, the Abuse Service in the audiovisual sector presented its first action report. The department detected three sexual assaults and carried out 21 accompaniment to victims and testimonies of abuse. During 2023, four of the people advised had a firm intention to formalize their complaint after legal advice and three of these accusations have been monitored during the legal process.