FC Barcelona Responds to Equality Plan Criticism: A Pioneering Commitment

FC Barcelona issued a statement on March 6 in response to the announcement by the Spanish government’s vice president, Yolanda Díaz, suggesting sanctions against the club for allegedly lacking an equality plan. The club vehemently rejected any assertion questioning its longstanding commitment to gender equality policies, highlighting its pioneering role in the sports world.

The statement emphasized that FC Barcelona approved its first Equality Plan in 2013, seven years before legislation on equality became mandatory for companies with more than 150 employees. The current II Equality Plan, set to expire in April 2023, is currently extended with the agreement of the Equality Commission of FC Barcelona, comprising representatives from the company and the social aspect (Employee Committee) during the negotiation of the III Equality Plan.

In addition to this ongoing negotiation, the club has updated protocols for preventing and addressing sexual harassment based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, and harassment in the workplace. These protocols came into effect on February 5, 2024. The statement clarified several points:

1. Existence of Sexual Harassment Protocols: The club has had a Protocol for the prevention and addressing of sexual harassment since 2020. This comprehensive protocol includes a network of 40 trained personnel, providing sessions to over 500 employees, including both male and female football teams.
2. Sanctions for Gender Pay Gap: FC Barcelona has not received any notification of non-compliance regarding the gender pay gap, and consequently, there is no sanction in this regard.
3. Existence of Equality Plan: Contrary to claims, FC Barcelona has been a pioneer in developing and adopting Equality Plans before specific legislation came into force. The inspection by the Labor Inspection Authority in November 2023 acknowledged the ongoing negotiation of the III Equality Plan, stating, “The entity is negotiating the III Equality Plan of the entity, specifically in the analysis of the situation diagnosis,” with the intention to approve it in the first quarter of 2024. The inspection resulted in a formal requirement for FC Barcelona to adopt corrective measures within four months to ensure compliance with legally stipulated terms for negotiating, developing, and implementing an Equality Plan.

The four-month amendment period concludes on March 15, and both the Club and the Employee Committee report the completion of the III Equality Plan for FC Barcelona, pending its mandatory registration.