The subdelegate of the Government, María Rivas, reported that the Camino de Santiago in the province has 763 information points of the approximately 1,600 existing throughout Galicia, in which pilgrims will be able to find the information and resources to prevent any type of male violence in the different Xacobe routes. He did so in the presentation of the #NoCaminasSola campaign in the place of Ribadiso (Arzúa), in which the delegations of the Government of Aragón, Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León and Galicia are involved, which are the communities through which the bulk of the people who make the Camino pass.
The subdelegate recalled that this campaign, which is carried out for the third consecutive year, is aimed at strengthening the protection of women who do the Camino de Santiago. María Rivas was accompanied in the presentation by the 2nd Deputy Mayor of the City of Arzúa, Begoña Valado, and the 3rd Deputy Mayor Daniel Moscoso; the Vocal of the College of Pharmacists and Pharmacists, Ignacio Labella; Colonel Chief of the Command of the Civil Guard in Coruña, Fernando Pedreira; the Chief Commissioner and Provincial Head of the National Police, Carlos Gómez; Pilar Pallín representing the Confederation of Businesspeople of Galicia; Mª Carmen López de Galicia, as well as Executives.
The subdelegate wanted to “highlight that it is women who are opting most for the Xacobe routes, the data indicate that 53% of the people who make the way are women, and in addition many of them do not hesitate to do it alone. Data from 2023 say that more than 230,000 pilgrims arrived in Santiago.”
The #NoCaminasSola initiative offers pilgrim women all the information of emergencies and the resources of the Security Forces and Bodies to which they can go along the Camino, on the different routes that travel through Galicia until reaching Santiago. That information is accessible at such points as hostels, tourist offices, police and civil guard offices and local police, health centers, pharmacies and public hospitals.
“The material distributed at these points (800 posters and 15,000 cards) is available in Spanish, English and Galician. And we also have the AlertCops application, easily installed on any mobile device, which allows to communicate alerts in real time and also send our geolocation for any emergency,” said María Rivas, who stressed that the ultimate goal of this campaign “is to turn the Camino into a path through which women can travel, feeling safe and accompanied.”
The subdelegate took advantage of the event to thank the municipalities, health personnel and the Equality staff of the Government subdelegation for their involvement in this campaign, “especially the involvement of the College of Pharmacists and Pharmacists, the work, dedication and commitment of the Civil Guard and National Police. Your involvement in this campaign is fundamental to its good result.”
Finally, he reiterated that we will continue to provide means for equality to make its way, because to bet on equality is also to invest in equality policies.
In this sense, remember that the Government invested since 2018 a total of 82 million euros in Galicia to finance actions to prevent and combat male violence. Of these, more than 73 million were transferred to the Xunta to finance its actions in this matter.
“Therefore, we frame this campaign, #NoCaminasSola, within the purpose of the Government to make our society a better, safer and therefore freer place for all women.”