The deputy delegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas, today claimed the proactive role of women in the resolution of armed conflicts in the world and their role in the maintenance of a lasting peace in these regions. It did so at the closing of the conference ‘Violence against women in armed conflicts: historical and current framework’, organized by the Government Delegation in Galicia within the program around 25N.
In her speech, María Rivas called for the incorporation of the gender perspective in the analysis of armed conflicts to overcome the visions that reduce the role of women to mere victims, “to give women the protagonism that they really have, both in the war and in our later scenarios”.
The subdelegate denounced that “women continue to suffer the impact of sexual and gender violence as a war tactic of armies” but this vision is limited, because it does not talk about the contribution of women, “half of the population” to the survival and resilience of the peoples affected by these conflicts and also does not recognize their role as “agents of peace and reconciliation when the conflict ends”. Thus, he stressed that “the involvement of women increases the probability of building a lasting peace.”
Informative day
The Conference ‘Violence against women in armed conflicts: historical and current framework’ was attended by Agar Meruéndano, head of instruction of Eastern countries of the Office of Asylum and Refuge of the Ministry of the Interior. Meruéndano holds a degree in Law from the University of Santiago and a Master’s Degree in International Trade. Her main functions include interviewing asylum seekers, managing international missions and participating in special international protection mechanisms, among others in Afghanistan and Ukraine.
It was presented by María Debén, head of the Coordination Unit against Violence against Women of the Government Delegation in Galicia.
The event was held at the National Museum of Science and Technology (MUNCYT) and was attended by various administrative officials, social entities and the Security Forces as well as students from the IES ‘Eusebio de A Guarda’ in A Coruña. Among the attendees were: the councilor for Social Services of the City of A Coruña, Nereida Canosa, the colonel head of the Command of the Civil Guard of A Coruña, Fernando Pedreira and the chief commissioner of the Provincial Brigade of the Judicial Police of the CNP in A Coruña, Francisco Javier Balas.