Promoting Inclusion and Equality through Culture (Cultural Twinning between Jerez de la Frontera and Gozo)

ongoing

Inclusion and equality, particularly in aspects such as gender, ethnicity, race, and the immigrant population, are areas that require improvement to advance toward a fairer society. Countries like Spain and Malta, with the Mediterranean Sea as a natural border of Europe, play a central role in addressing these issues and challenges. Culture is one of the key drivers for promoting equality among these groups. The fact that both countries are candidates for the European Capitals of Culture in 2031 - with the island of Gozo in Malta and the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Spain submitting their candidacies - and having significant immigrant populations (especially in Malta), Roma communities (particularly in Jerez de la Frontera), and facing social and labour discrimination against women supports the twinning of these two places. This twinning aims to ensure that inclusion and equality criteria become decisive factors when the selection committee chooses the European Capitals of Culture for this year. Through this project, two institutions of great impact, the 'Asociación Cultural Ateneo de Jerez' in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) and the 'Gozo Regional Council' of Gozo (Malta), will work through culture to promote the inclusion of groups such as Roma women and the immigrant population. They will share their experiences and reflections by organizing two Cultural Inclusion Events, one in each country, which both associations will collaborate on and offer to the citizens of both communities.