A group of women who were at the Marialar shelter, which provides support to survivors of gender-based violence and their families, share their experiences at this service, run by Cáritas Barcelona and Suara Cooperativa, in different podcasts that will be published every Thursday until April 4.
Laura Morenilla, coordinator of this service, explains in a video podcast created for March 8, International Women's Day, Treballodra, that this service offers "an initial space of protection and confidentiality for women and their families in the first stages of their recovery."
In fact, this service is a first intervention and a space of refuge where women turn when they decide to break away from the situation of gender-based violence until they find a permanent solution.
"There are times when you feel completely lost and don't know how to get out. You feel like everything is dark, and finding that possibility and this resource, in my case, is so grateful," Milena explains in the video podcast, where she adds: "I learned to get back up again, that it's possible, to trust, and it's also necessary for us to heal ourselves."
Milena advises other women experiencing similar situations to raise their hands. "Often we don't do it out of fear, and we continue to be subjected to this type of abuse and violence. There are places and people you can trust,” she assures.
However, her testimony is not the only voice of a survivor of gender-based violence who now dares to speak out. Several women, like Cristina and Mayelin, who were in the Marialar shelter, are now appearing on the Cope radio station where they have recorded a series of podcasts to narrate their experiences, which will be published every Thursday until April 4.
“Historias de vigilancia” (Survival Stories) features four podcasts, the first of which was published last Friday under the title “El reencuentro” (The Reunion). After a period away from the shelter, the women reunite with the social workers who supported them in those early days, when they decided to break away from their past marked by violence.
Tomorrow, a new chapter entitled “Visible and Invisible Barriers” will be published; while On Thursday the 27th, you can listen to "A Future in Equality?"; and on April 3rd, "Getting Up is Possible."
Combating Gender-Based Violence
In 2024, a total of 50,536 reports of gender-based violence were recorded in Spain, representing a 4.8% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Spanish Judiciary.
To combat this scourge, at Suara Cooperativa we are making this Protocol on Violence Against Women available to victims of gender-based violence so that they have the tools and resources to overcome this situation.
Furthermore, at Suara Cooperativa, we have also developed, together with V-Tools, a virtual reality experience to work with adolescents and young people on the prevention and detection of gender-based violence among this population group. "Virtual reality is a very useful tool for creating context, quickly locating the content you want to work on, and creating the atmosphere, and this is very important in any communication situation," explains Olga Chamorro, director of an Open Center managed by Suara Cooperativa, in this article.
At Suara Cooperativa, we have a support model where we put the person at the center of their life projects and empower them through decision-making so that they themselves are the protagonists of their life projects.
That's why, on November 25th, the International Day of Violence Against Women, the women of Marialar took center stage and created this music video to call for an end to gender-based violence. They themselves are the ones who chose the song, the scenes, the format, gave voice to this piece and edited the audio, which accompanies the following images.
In 2025, the United Nations has declared it the International Year of Cooperatives so that we can contribute to creating a better world. In this context, at Suara we have launched a campaign in which each month we highlight a cooperative value, and this March it is equality.
In this context, if we want to achieve more just, egalitarian, and equitable societies, it undoubtedly requires the eradication of gender-based violence and, therefore, such basic rights for women.
