8-M: Lola, you are not alone
The women homeless They are a minority. They have specific needs that the administration often fails to address. The initiative Lola You Are Not Alone was born in May 2017 to address its reality from a perspective feminist and thus counteract the void left by these unmet needs. These include the lack of spaces for security on the streets and in shelters, and the greater feeling of failure that women feel (compared to men) when they lose their homes, as project coordinator Clara Naya told Metrópoli Abierta .
Since last August they opened a new premises in the Verdum neighbourhood of Barcelona (provided by the City Council), Lola No Estás Sola offers homeless women more services than when it was located in the neighbourhood association of the Prosperitat, such as showers and laundry facilities. They also have a storage room where they can store their luggage, have access to donated clothing and hygiene products, and also have a meeting space.
Arrels Fundació tells this newspaper that last June it counted 1,195 people sleeping on the streets of the Catalan capital. Of this figure, 83% are men, 11% are women, and 6% were either undetermined or unable to ascertain either gender. Naya points out that since they launched Lola No Estás Sola more than two years ago, she and the rest of the association's members have assisted 80 women who had become disconnected from the streets. administrative services because they did not feel well cared for.
Currently, the doors of the self-proclaimed "Lolas" are open Monday and Thursday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. Their goal is to raise more funding to eventually open every day of the week.
DISCONNECTED FROM THE SYSTEM
From the other end of the phone, the project coordinator admits that many of the current "Lolas" arrived "disconnected from the system" because they had faced complex problems, such as the removal of custody of a son , consumption of narcotics either Gender-based violence . These circumstances meant that many never contacted social services or "didn't find the support they needed. Their problems are very diverse," Naya adds.
That's why Lola No Estás Sola offers support to these women to connect them (again or for the first time) with the social services "appropriate in each case." "Once they connect with these, the majority disappear, but there are more than 20 who are now part of the association," says Naya, satisfied, adding: "They absorb its participatory model and get involved in the initiatives we develop to move it forward, such as cleaning the bathrooms so other women can shower or participating in fundraising." funds .”
CHANGE YOUR MINDSET
In addition to providing the "Lolas" with the opportunity to meet their hygiene and clothing needs, they also offer a space where they participate in various activities, such as workshops and talks. It is during these moments that they share their life stories with other homeless women and others from the neighborhood who have also experienced gender-based violence or violence. harassment . Together they feel more understood.
The importance of feeling that others empathize with them lies in the fact that public spaces are “very masculinized” and “they feel out of place.” Naya explains that in shelters and on the streets they don’t have privacy , may suffer harassment and are at greater risk of being assaulted . “Since childhood, we have been instilled with the fear to being raped or hurt on the street, so living on the street for a woman means spending all day in this fear." She also recalls that the feeling of failure when losing a home is greater for a woman because "we have been raised to believe that our path in life is to have a family and take care of it."
That's why, by sharing their experiences, they understand that these are common among many women and, therefore, they can free themselves from this guilt. As Naya maintains, in reality, the culprit is none other than "a patriarchal system who has always judged us this way." Now they know that together they are stronger.
To do our part, we've created the color Lola, You're Not Alone, a lilac color priced at €10, and for every nail polish sold, we'll donate €1 to the Lola, You're Not Alone association.
