Mollet del Vallès council has approved its Fourth Strategic Gender Equality Plan (2026–2029), a roadmap designed to strengthen the commitment to effective equality between women and men. The plan also defends women's rights as a fundamental pillar of a fully democratic city, according to officials.
The new plan marks a significant step forward from previous versions, adopting a feminist, cross-cutting, and human rights-based approach. It places the daily lives of women at the centre of municipal policies. The plan's goal is to advance towards measurable and assessable real equality, influencing all social, economic, urban, and institutional areas of the municipality.
Identifying Areas of Inequality
The document originated from a participatory process that included a review of the Third Equality Plan, analysis of statistical data, 167 citizen surveys, 30 interviews with key stakeholders, and a focus group with women from the municipality. This diagnostic work helped identify key areas of inequality, such as male violence, care and time use, safety and public space, economic autonomy, and internal governance.
Mollet del Vallès Mayor Mireia Dionisio Calé described the plan as "a high-level political commitment that shows us the roadmap to continue building, together, a more just, freer, and more feminist city." The mayor added that it is a document "that places equality as a central and cross-cutting axis of all municipal policies to alleviate existing discrimination and a key tool to transform the city and guarantee real rights and opportunities for everyone."
Estela Mas Cagide, the Councillor for Feminism, stated that "with this Plan, we reaffirm our desire to build a feminist, safe, and caring city, as we are convinced that a city designed from the lives of women is a better city for everyone." The councillor also noted that the document defines measurable and assessable actions, with clear indicators that will allow for monitoring.
Shared Governance and Continuous Evaluation
The Fourth Equality Plan is structured around five strategic axes. It foresees shared governance, involving a political driving group, a cross-cutting technical commission, equality representatives in different municipal areas, and spaces for citizen participation. It also includes a continuous monitoring and evaluation system, with specific indicators, periodic reports, and transparency for citizens.
