Metzineres, a non-profit co-operative in Barcelona's Raval neighbourhood, faces closure if it cannot find a new premises by 30 June. The organisation supports women experiencing multiple vulnerabilities, including homelessness, gender-based violence, and substance use.
Since 2020, Metzineres has operated from a premises at Carrer de la Lluna, 3. The property owner informed them that their rental contract would not be renewed. The contract expired in December, but an extension set a new deadline of 30 June.
Aura Roig, president and founder of Metzineres, told Infobarris that she has informed public administrations of their situation. Despite recognising their work, officials told her they 'cannot find spaces' to rehouse them. Roig said that 'moving us from the Raval is already a problem because we are neighbours of the neighbourhood, but if we don't renew, what's left for us is the street'.
A Home for Vulnerable Women
Metzineres is the first co-operative in Catalonia where women who approach the organisation become active participants in its operation. It creates safe environments and offers legal, health, and psychological support. Most women involved have survived many forms of violence, live on the street, and use substances. Roig explained that their approach is 'global, and we work with them. In fact, here we don't speak of users but of participants. Here we put people, women, at the centre, and everything we do revolves around improving their well-being'.
The Metzineres premises is a support space and a place to feel at home. The 120 square metre layout is designed to create this sense of home. 'We don't have a reception area, as soon as you enter, you are already home,' Roig said.
The space has three distinct areas. The first part is a collective area for meals, workshops, and knowledge exchange. Further back is a cleaning area with showers, bunk beds for rest, and a small infirmary for care. At the very back, a small patio houses washing machines and an outdoor seating area. Roig concluded that 'losing this space will be like losing their home, a point of reference and security', noting that 'about sixty women pass through here daily'.
Recognition and Support
Metzineres received the Catalan Observatory of Justice for Male Violence Award in late 2024. Since 2020, the Generalitat de Catalunya has recognised it as a Specialised Intervention Service (SIE). The organisation has also received recognition from the United Nations and the Barcelona 2030 Agenda Award. Despite this, Roig lamented that 'it seems that it is not enough to guarantee our continuity'.
Maria Lech discovered Metzineres eight years ago. She explained that she had a difficult past and the organisation helped her greatly. Now, she helps other women who arrive, working as a community technician who uses her experience to support newcomers. 'We are like a family, and from the first moment a woman arrives here, we make her part of our family. When they come, they realise they are not alone,' Lech explained. She hopes the centre will not have to close, as it would be 'like going backwards instead of progressing'. Manu, another participant, said, 'From the first moment I arrived, I felt I had an intimate, safe place, with companions, there is no other place like this. I cannot describe with words what this place is, all I know is that it cannot close.'
Metzineres has launched a signature campaign to demand that public administrations guarantee a stable, accessible space rooted in the Raval for a project that is already part of the city's specialised network for male violence. So far, they have collected over 3,000 signatures of support.
