The girls of the Raval subjected to religious and family control
Leisure professionals denounce that from the age of 12 they do not take part in the activities. The council invokes religious freedom to do nothing.
A street in the Raval
Barcelona City Council
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In Barcelona's Raval district, socio-educational leisure professionals have denounced a growing violation of the rights and freedoms of girls and adolescents. According to them, from the age of 12 many families withdraw them from extracurricular activities that involve any physical contact with male classmates, such as shaking hands or forming a circle.
This situation has worsened since the pandemic, with stricter family control limiting girls' participation in social and educational activities.
Social isolation and forced marriages
This family control often results in the social isolation of girls, especially in closed religious communities. According to the Pakistani Women's Cultural, Educational and Social Operational Association (Acesop), This isolation is a preliminary step to forced marriages., a practice that has increased alarmingly in Europe since the pandemic.
Girls are deprived of their childhood and exposed to risks such as domestic violence and school dropout, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.
The Town Council knows nothing about it.
In response to these allegations, the Barcelona City Council has stated that neither Social Services nor the Department of Education have detected any violation of the girls' rights in the Raval's socio-educational leisure spaces.
Testimonials from leisure professionals
Leisure professionals have raised their voices on X (Twitter). The @Per_Elles profile exposes situations they have experienced in the Raval. For example, they denounce incidents such as:
- A 13-year-old girl asks them to speak to her father to ensure that she has no physical contact with any boy during the activities.
- A father who is punishing his 15-year-old daughter by not letting her go out or use her mobile phone all summer because she went cycling during the summer camp.
- If there's a swimming pool, the girls don't swim.
Let no one be confused, neither racism, nor fundamentalism, nor cultural relativism which defines a "we" and the "others, let's talk about the rights of girls and young women of the One-two-five-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two-two- and we will continue to do so, including everyone. #per_elles #Barcelona
— Per_Elles (@Per_Elles) 17 March 2025
Testimonial from a local educator 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/tstLsp3RSp
They denounce this and more on X, and no one does anything because not respecting cultural peculiarities is fascism.
More Perceptions of
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