Who we are
Mission
Hèlia is a non profit feminist association formed in 2008 by a team of professionals and volunteers. We provide community, feminist and comprehensive suppot to women in all their diversity who go through processes of sexist violence against women. We work in a network with organisations in Catalonia and Palestine, creating projects for intervention and improvement in the struggle to eradicate violence against women. Fostering and consolidating horizontal processes of mutual support between women and feminist groups is what gives meaning to our activity.
Vision
We aim to promote change in patriarchal society towards a world free of sexist violence against women and without cultural and social subordination.. We fight for people’s real and effective rights, for cultural change, for education in equality of opportunities, without sexist or androcentric stereotypes or discriminatory attitudes, respecting each woman’s unique identity and development.
We want neither a universalising or a colonial feminism and we are moving away from the idea that there is a right way to fight the patriarchy. We start from the basis of respect and shared experiences to strengthen and empower each other through the group’s common strength and sisterhood.
Origins
Hèlia arises from the commitment of some activists who participated in the Unitary Platform against Gender Violencewhich brings together various associations, entities and organisations from all over the social fabric of Catalonia to raise awareness and prevent sexist violence against women. From this platform, we realised that we needed to create an association dedicated to providing care and comprehensive support to women affected by gender-based violence. From Hèlia’s beginnings, this community support has taken the form of mutual support thanks to teams of selfless volunteers.
Values and principles
We understand feminism as the struggle against the patriarchal structure and the conviction to transform it into a healthy, egalitarian society free of sexist violence against women. Our feminism is inclusive of all women’s circumstances and feelings, without preference for any of them, and assumes all social and natural diversity while criticising the hegemony of Western values in the world.
We defend human rights and the rights of women, in all their diversity, without exception: lesbian and trans women, racialised women, working women, women with functional diversity, older women, young women and girls.
We stand in global solidarity with women around the world who are experiencing violence against women.
We understand anti-racismandanti-fascins, as the rejection of any form of domination, colonialism, supremacy and the defence of collective right.
We work in networks and usour collective strengt with every association, organisation and group that shares our goals and values.
Quality, consistency, lresponsability and transparency in all projects and programmes.
What do we do?
We support women in their process to overcome sexist violence against women. We do this in a comprehensive way. We work in a network with other associations and organisations working against gender violence. We are helping the sisterhood to eradicate patriarchy and build a world free of sexist violence against women.
General objective
Create social projects of support and comprehensive intervention, such as the implementation of a programme of centralised services to achieve their full recovery and empowerment. To achieve this, we detect the needs of affected women and survivors of sexist violence against women, as well as those in their immediate environment.
Specific objectives
Establish and promote feminist volunteer networks, community support and mutual support for women affected by sexist violence against women.
Comprehensively support women in situations sexist violence against women in their recovery process.
Establish joint work with women’s organisations in Palestine working to eradicate sexist violence against women and advocate for women’s rights.
Move towards the transformation of patriarchal structures through action to prevent, raise awareness about and advocate for the eradication of sexist violence against women.
Where do we want to go
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Mutual support among women
Over the next few years, we want to promote our project to support women affected by sexist violence against women (Veïnes per Veïnes – “Women Neighbours for Women Neighbours”) by strengthening our already consolidated network of volunteers and extending the initiative to other local neighbourhoods and towns that want to reproduce the experience based on their social foundations and their specific reality.
Assistance for women
At the association, we will commit to work together to strengthen the existing services, to move towards a circuit of attention and coordination between social agents that includes all the realities of existing sexist violence against women.
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Awareness-raising and prevention
It is more important than ever to keep working in schools, public services, health care, and so onto prevent sexist violence against women in all areas. In times of social complexity, the struggle for equality has often been left in the background, while the crisis has had a greater impact on women. Over the next few years, we will continue to work to prevent sexist violence against women and to prevent more women from being victimised.
Solidarity with Palestine
We will continue to forge alliances and learn from experiences and knowledge around the world. Sexist violence against women is a global phenomenon and we intend to continue to consolidate our relationship with Palestinian partners to fight together for equality and women’s rights. Thus, we will consolidate the education for development activities to work from Catalonia on the global dimension of sexist violence against women.