The government delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana, accompanied by the island director, Juan Luis Navarro, today presented the initiative launched by the Island Directorate of the General Administration of the State in La Gomera by which all the municipalities of the Colombian island declare themselves committed against gender violence by installing signs on their road access roads.
The event, which took place on one of those roads in the municipality of Agulo, was attended by the deputy Esther Rodríguez, the fourth vice-president and island councilor of the Territorial Policy, Environment and Primary Sector Area, Héctor Cabrera, and the CEO on Roads of the Cabildo de La Gomera, Aníbal Ramón González, as well as the mayors of San Sebastián de La Gomera, Angélica Padilla; Agulo, Rosa Chinea, and Herilla, Solveida Jena Mayor, Councilor and Greater Equal Areas.
This initiative, which is part of the actions organized by the Insular Directorate on the occasion of 8M, International Women’s Day, aims to give greater visibility to the rejection of gender violence, exalting in turn the values of the Gomero and the Gomera and their determined commitment to a respectful world with a coexistence free of male stereotypes.
The representation of the Government of Spain in the Colombian island has designed and invited the municipalities to install the declaratory signs of their commitment against gender violence along with the identification of their toponymy in the access roads to the municipality, and these have accepted, which makes La Gomera a territory entirely committed in the fight against this scourge.
“The Canaries once again give an example of firmness, perseverance, in the fight against gender violence, particularly when it comes to conveying the message that in our society there is no room for this scourge, that the Canaries and Canaries do not accept or tolerate any type of violence against women. On this occasion La Gomera becomes the spearhead in the visibility of this commitment,” said the government delegate.
“As we have already done in the signatures of the police collaboration agreements for the protection of victims, once again, we thank the local administration and particularly the City Councils of La Gomera in this case who have not hesitated, who demonstrate that no kind of action can be taken against male violence. And in the same way we thank the Council to accompany us and support us all in this task,” he added.
Example of collaboration between the State and Local Administrations
For his part, the island director in La Gomera wanted to highlight the importance of collaboration and institutional loyalty when it comes to being able to carry out initiatives such as this, particularly in smaller territorial areas, “where it is more evident that union makes strength and unity is necessary to end gender violence.”
As Juan Luis Navarro explained, the approach of this project is an example of collaboration between the three institutions, state, island and municipal “on such an important issue as showing unity in the face of the negationist voices that try to make themselves heard. An unequivocal idea of the fight against gender violence that reflects the immense feeling of the population against this social scourge.”
The reflection has been reflected in the signs, which will be placed at the entrance of each municipality on the margins of the road and in which, on a violet background and with blank letters, can be read “municipality committed against gender violence”.