Catalonia to create 'national purple network' to prevent gender-based violence 

The Catalan government is to create a 'national purple network' with the aim of preventing gender-based violence, encompassing shops, markets, and transport, as well as community, cultural and sports spaces. 

The strategy is part of Catalonia's first national plan for the prevention of gender-based violence, presented on Monday, which lays out more than 200 steps with a budget of €43 million. 

Tània Verge, equality and feminism minister, said the new plan will be "a turning point." It will include training for staff in shopping centers, the creation of a virtual 'purple button' on public transport apps, and the expansion of an on-demand bus stop system in less crowded areas. 

"There have been many measures of a preventive nature, but fragmented, with few resources and without a nationwide strategy," said Verge, explaining that it was necessary to organize the various measures so they "go together," and promote new measures in all areas so that they reach all groups.

"We will create 'purple' support stations across Catalonia, we will introduce a 'purple button' in public transports and extend on-demand bus stops," she said. 

Purple network 

The purple network will be created by providing training in all spaces – cultural, sports, work centers, schools and universities – explained Laia Rosich, general director for the Eradication of Gender-based Violence, a government body. 

It will aim to provide training so that preventive actions can be taken, and especially on how to act in the event of discovering a situation of gender-based violence. In other words, how to care for a woman who is a victim of violence, who to turn to and what steps to follow. 

Rosich also emphasizes the 900 900 120 telephone number, which offers direct psychological and legal advice to victims of violence and to those who require support. 

Training has already started in some shopping centers and will also take place at markets and among local business and neighborhood associations. Purple points will also be activated at major sporting and cultural events, such as the SAGA gaming fair, which will be held soon, Rosich said. 

Public transport 

Measures on public transport will form a key part of the plan. A virtual 'purple button' will be created on all the main public transport apps, which will connect users directly to the 900 900 120 line.  

It is intended to complement the 112 emergency number, with the department explaining that it could be useful, for example, if a girl or woman is at a bus stop and feels uncomfortable in a situation while waiting for the bus to arrive. 

In addition to working with public transport operators, the equality and feminism ministry is also working with the taxi sector, Rosich said. 

A system of on-demand stops on bus routes that pass through less crowded areas is to be extended, and an anonymous virtual mailbox will be created for complaints of sexual violence suffered or witnessed on public transport. There will also be exploratory walks in towns and cities with the aim of making changes to the urban environment that will improve how safe the streets feel. 

New protocols 

New protocols will be drawn up and existing ones updated, covering everything from addressing violence in bars and clubs, through interacting with the police, to university procedures. 

Figures for the prevention of gender-based violence will be created for different areas, including intimacy coordinators in the audiovisual and performing arts field, and delegates for protection in sport, to ensure the prevention and early detection of any violence. 

The plan is accompanied by a White Paper on the prevention of sexual violence, setting common guidelines for the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies, the minister explained.