Local Participatory Activities

 

Since August, the DiverCity project has entered the participatory phase across four countries, engaging with local groups in various settings:

• In Solsona (Spain), the focus is on young women in rural areas.

• In Athens (Greece), the project targets young women in urban areas.

• Weimar (Germany) is working with young women with migrant backgrounds.

• Brussels (Belgium) is collaborating with teenage girls.

Between August and November, we established connections with local authorities and collectives to form work groups. Since December, these local groups have been actively analyzing public spaces through a gender lens. The goal is to propose improvements using at least three tools from the toolbox developed in the earlier phase. Additionally, participants are collaborating on local activities, gearing up to implement actions in March through participatory budgeting.

In Solsona (Spain), local authorities have been supportive, aiding in the formation of a work group consisting of five individuals identifying as female and one as male. The tools utilized so far include Urbana's "The Privilege/Oppression Pie," where participants identified their oppressions and privileges, fostering empathy among them. The tool "GenderScape: Mapping Inclusive Territories," created by ESTEL, is employed to scrutinize Solsona's public spaces from a gender perspective, evaluating criteria like accessibility, visibility, access to help, communication, and community care.

Initial feedback from participants has been positive, with many expressing surprise at the shared perceptions when discussed aloud. This collaborative process aims to bring about meaningful insights and improvements in the understanding and enhancement of public spaces.