Participants highlighted a shared ambition: to create a credible, ethical, and practical tool capable of both documenting gender-based violence (GBV) and supporting those affected by it.
Across both discussions, participants strongly emphasised the need for clear definitions, reliable data, and transparent methodology. Many noted that GBV in the wine sector remains largely under-reported, particularly in high-risk contexts such as trade fairs, tastings, and professional events. Without a shared vocabulary and proper contextualisation, harmful behaviours are often minimised or normalised. The Observatory should therefore be envisioned not only as a data-collection instrument, but also as an educational resource that helps professionals, victims, and witnesses recognise and name gender-based violence .
Ethical considerations were another central theme. Participants stressed that collecting testimonies about GBV requires a trauma-informed approach and cannot occur in isolation. Anyone disclosing an experience of violence should be guided toward appropriate support services, such as specialised associations or helplines. Trust, psychological safety, and clarity about what happens “after” a testimony is shared were identified as decisive factors for encouraging participation and preventing re-traumatisation.
The insights gathered during these Focus Groups but also the ones in other partner countries reinforce the project’s commitment to building an Observatory that is inclusive, credible, and genuinely useful for preventing gender-based violence in the wine industry.