Coinciding with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Democracy, the delegate paid tribute to the women who “kept the flame of feminism burning and the struggle for women’s rights during the dictatorship”

‘With this act we make the network of support and protection of the victims of gender violence more demanding and we consolidate with that Democracy, a word that speaks, above all, of equality between men and women’

The journalist Tareixa Navaza received the mention ‘Communicating in Equality’, awarded in collaboration with the Official College of Journalists of Galicia

The event was attended by the three subdelegates and the subdelegate of the Government, the Valedora del Pueblo, the Superior Prosecutor of Galicia, responsible for CC and FF of Security, the Xunta and other institutions

The government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, today called on citizens and institutions to “stand up to machismo” with the tools provided by Democracy and the example left by the eleven recognitions and honorable meninas of Galicia, granted by the Government Delegation. The delegate said these words at the close of the ceremony to hand over these recognitions, which reached its eighth edition.

This year, marking the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Transition, the delegate paid tribute to the women who “kept the flame of feminism and the struggle for women’s rights burning during the dictatorship,” suffering double discrimination, political and police and male chauvinism. Pedro Blanco insisted on the responsibility to consolidate the rights achieved with democracy and to advance in equality, so that it reaches all women. In this regard, he described as unconstitutional the fact that today more than 6,000 Galician women are within the Viogen police protection system, as well as the two machista murders committed this year in Galicia. To these facts, he added the expressions of those who question the existence of gender violence.

After congratulating all the people and entities awarded this year, Pedro Blanco concluded that “with this act we make the network of support and protection of the victims of gender violence more rigorous and we consolidate with that Democracy, a word that speaks, above all, of equality between men and women”.

Meninas 2025: acknowledgements and mentions

A autonomic level, the Recognition Meninas falls on the Provincial Council of A Coruña, that was represented at the event by the deputy of the area of Equality, Soledad Agra. With this award, the Government recognizes the trajectory of this entity to promote prevention and awareness programs, as well as support to the municipalities of the province in the development of equality policies, both at the budgetary level and in personal means.

Also at the regional level, the Delegation granted an honorable mention to María Elena Steinger, Fiscal Delegate of the specialty of Violence on Women in Galicia, a key piece in recent years in the treatment of cases of gender violence of this Office of the Prosecutor.

In the province of A Coruña, the NGO ACCEM reaches La Menina for its work with refugee women and, in particular, for the program of comprehensive care for women victims of sexual trafficking and/or prostitutes, which provides comprehensive care and accompaniment to women victims of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, sexual exploitation and/or prostitution, regardless of their administrative status, origin, nationality or gender identity. Together with this NGO, in this province there is an honorable mention Team Woman-Minor EMUME of the Command of the Civil Guard of A Coruña, due to the intense research and training work carried out by its three components.

In the province of Lugo, the Menina is awarded to the Penitentiary Association ‘Concepción Arenal’, In recognition of its comprehensive care programme for women in pre-, intra- and post-penitentiary and family situations affected by the internment situation. This program addresses in a global way the needs of women in situations of social vulnerability, inside and outside the prison, giving great importance to active listening in emotional support. In this province, the honorable mention is given to the Viogen Team of the Company of the Civil Guard of Monforte de Lemos, for its comprehensive and immediate attention to all cases of gender violence that it has dealt with since its creation, in the year 2022.

In Ourense, the Menina recognition is for the ISecondary Education Institute ‘Xesús Taboada Chivite’ of Verín, rewarding the educational project of this center, which focuses on equality between women and men, non-discrimination and the prevention of gender violence. As the main hallmark of this orientation, the center develops the ChiviTEI program, which promotes coexistence and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Next to him, in this province reaches an honorable mention the National police Ramón Salvador Álvarez Álvarez, assigned to the Police Unit attached to the Autonomous Community of Galicia in Ourense, which has extensive experience in the treatment of cases of gender violence.

In Pontevedra, receives the recognition Menina Emma Torres Romay, professor and dean of the Faculty of Communication of the University of Vigo. It is the architect of a pioneering collaboration with the Subdelegation of the Government in Pontevedra to make materials available to the municipalities of the province to develop campaigns to prevent gender violence, through the participation of the students of the Master of Advertising of the Faculty of Communication Sciences. This collaboration generated materials and slogans that will be put into circulation during this year on the occasion of the 25N in the municipalities of Moaña, Lalín, Sanxenxo, Redonda and Ponteareas. The campaigns are focused on prevention in the immigrant women’s collective to avoid double victimization.

In this province, the Honorable Mention recognizes the work of the Family and Women ' s Care Unit (UFAM) of the National Police Station of Vilagarcía de Arousa. This unit carries out an intense task of protection (currently monitoring and protecting 95 women of this City Council) and investigation, as shown by the 112 proceedings carried out in the last year for gender and domestic violence, which resulted in 77 arrests.

Distinction to ‘Communication in Equality’

For the third time, the Meninas Awards include the distinction to journalists, companies and social communication projects in Galicia that promote the values of equality and the eradication of male violence. In this category, with the name ‘Communication in Equality’, the Government Delegation in Galicia counted on the collaboration of the Official College of Journalists of Galicia, as an advisory entity.

This year, this special mention was for the Galician journalist Tareixa Navaza, a key female figure in radio and television journalism in Galicia since the late 1960s, a professional who transferred reality to Galician society rigorously while claiming feminism in front of and behind the camera.

Act of delivery of the Meninas

The presentation of the Meninese Awards took place this afternoon at the Hostal de los Reis Católica, in the week that commemorates the International Day against Gender Violence, on November 25.

The event brought together in Santiago de Compostela those responsible for civil, judicial, military institutions and the different Administrations: the Superior Prosecutor’s Office; the Ombudsman; the President of the FEGAMP; the Mayor of Santiago; the heads of the Civil Guard and National Police of Galicia; the three sub-delegates of the Government in A Coruña, Ourense and Pontevedra and the sub-delegate in Lugo, and the Director General of Fight against Gender Violence, Roberto Barba, among other authorities.

During the gala, conducted by the journalist Aida Pena, the violinist of Cuban origin Marcos Valcarce also performed.

Eighth consecutive year

The Meninas Awards were created in 2004 by the Government of Spain. The awards select individuals and entities that stand out for their commitment to eradicating gender-based violence, supporting victims and fighting for equality and are set to celebrate the 25th International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

In Galicia, the Meninas are awarded since 2018 after the determination of the Government Delegation to transfer these recognitions to the autonomous area, and coinciding with the arrival to the Government of Pedro Sánchez. Since then, the Delegation granted 38 Meninas, in addition to the five that were granted this year.