The Government delegate in Asturias, Delia Losa, presented this afternoon the Menina 2023 recognitions at the City of Oviedo Exhibition and Congress Centre. These are the distinctions that all delegations and subdelegations of the Government grant on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and are framed within the State Pact against Gender Violence.
In this year’s edition, the Delegation of the Government of Spain in Asturias has decided to award the highest distinction to the Crisis Centre for victims of sexual assault in the Principality of Asturias. Created in 2020, it is a pioneer in providing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to women victims of sexual violence. “A model of care admired and imitated by other autonomous communities,” said the government delegate in her speech at the event.
Delia Losa recalled that the Crisis Center exists thanks to the funds of the State Pact against Gender Violence that all the autonomous communities receive from the Government of Spain and “thanks to the will, awareness and responsibility of the Government of the Principality”.
In this regard, the Government delegate considers “fundamental the unity and strengthening of the State Pact against Gender Violence approved in 2017 and renewed in 2021 by all political formations with parliamentary representation less by Vox”. Since 2018, the Government of Spain has allocated 1,189 million euros to develop this Pact of State, 320 million in 2023: “These are budget items that guarantee the financing of projects and public investments of autonomous communities and municipalities.”
In her speech at the award ceremony, Losa highlighted that this year’s Meninese recognitions “represent the best values” of our society: “You are the example that the fight against gender-based violence is a problem that we all need to be involved in. Every gesture, every action, every initiative is important. They all add up. We will continue to work to make gender-based violence a sad memory.”
Honorable mentions
At the award ceremony, attended by civil and military authorities, eight honours diplomas were awarded:
- Javier Fernández Teruelo, Professor of Criminal Law and Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Oviedo: For his studies on the rates of violence against women, the results of which have been taken into account by the administrations and incorporated into our legislation.
- Viogén Teams of the Civil Guard: For having improved the quality of the specialized response to victims in their area of competence. In Asturias, a total of eight teams have been created, one for each Company.
- Subinspector José Luis Magadán, de la UFAM de la Comisaría de Gijón: For his dedication and professionalism for almost 20 years in the group of the National Police specialized in violence against the family and women, showing a special empathy and sensitivity in the care of women victims of both gender violence and sexual or domestic violence.
- Local Police of Mieres: For its professionalism and involvement in acting with victims of gender violence, having its own technical unit for the protection of victims, being one of the local police pioneers in working with the victims of this violence.
- Manuela Suárez Granda, coordinator against gender violence at the Asturian Women’s Institute: For his work in the coordination of public resources for the care of victims of gender violence. First at the Integration Support Center, where he prepared documents aimed at combating violence in the field of disability. She was also at the head of the Equality Unit of the Ministry of Services and Social Rights and since 2018 she is the coordinator against gender violence of the Asturian Institute of Women.
- Women's Association for Reinsertion into the Labour Market Xurtir: Declared a public utility, this association has been fighting against the social exclusion of women for 25 years. They draw up plans for reintegration into the labour market and raise awareness of the Social Pact against Violence against Women.
- Women in ON mode: This Employment Insert and ONCE Foundation program was born in 2020 with the aim of empowering women with disabilities who are victims of gender violence through employment and entrepreneurship. It is co-financed by the European Social Fund.
- IES La Ería: For its outstanding actions for the promotion of equality and the prevention of violence, structured through its “equality working group”, which has two courses working in the organization of activities related to the promotion of equality.
Victims of gender violence
The government delegate regretted that this year in Spain 53 women have been murdered by their partner or ex-partner, 1,239 since 2003: “Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, murdered by men who considered them their property.”
Delia Losa has encouraged women victims of violence to report, emphasizing the support they have from all public administrations: “We are your violet door, as the song of my admired Rozalén says, we are the place where you can be safe”. And he has called for “responsibility” to the victims’ environment: “Do not be silent, you need to alert and denounce any suspicion of mistreatment that you perceive. Let’s not let the signs pass. Many times it is in your hand, in our hand, to save lives.”
The government delegate has expressed her concern about “how all forms of violence in general and male chauvines in particular fit among the youngest.”
To date, 1,825 women in Asturias have some kind of active police protection against their abuser