The Coordination Unit against Violence Against Women of the Government Delegation in Melilla is organizing, in collaboration with the Directorate of the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center (CETI) in Melilla, a Day of Awareness and Action against Gender Violence, which will take place next Wednesday, March 29.
The Conference is aimed at all CETI staff, from the technical staff, administration, cleaning, kitchen, security, NGOs… and that will be developed during the morning in the facilities of the center itself.
As explained by the Head of the Unit, Laura Segura, with two blocks, of an hour and a half approximately each, the Conference will address issues of interest to the attendees who, from their work space in this provisional reception center of Melilla, “can be part of the prevention, detection and action against any form of violence against women that develops in their work space.”
In addition, “it is also about deepening the local reality and generating times of exchange with the attendees in which to resolve doubts and continue establishing partnerships,” he said.
The Conference will be opened by the Delegate of the Government, Sabrina Moh, and by the Director of the CETI, Pablo José Martínez Rivada, and the presentations will be offered by Laura Segura. Presentations that will focus on awareness and action against gender violence, including training in equality and providing tools to detect sexism and inequalities and prevent gender violence.
On the other hand, international and national legislation will be addressed in the field of male violence, causes of gender violence, types, cycle of violence in the area of the couple and ex couple, consequences, etc.
Contents will also be developed regarding the resources for the protection and care of victims of gender violence and the rest of gender violence will be addressed - sexual violence, exploitation, trafficking, forced marriages, etc.
Multiple discrimination
“Violence against women is the maximum expression of inequality and discrimination against women, it is a problem common to all countries, and it is generated by cultural patterns that demonstrate the values of a society built on the patriarchal model,” said Segura.
A model, he added, “where inequality presides over relations between men and women, leading to the domination and discrimination of these, as well as the interposition of obstacles to their full development.”
In the case of migrant women, “violence against women presents a more complex problem, this is mainly due to the situation of special vulnerability in which they live, which is a greater difficulty than that of Spanish women when it comes to breaking with violence,” she said.
“They are in a situation of multiple discrimination, because they are women and also foreigners, to which can be added other factors such as race, religion, being in an irregular situation, lack of social networks or support in Spain, cultural differences, linguistic barriers…” he said.
On the other hand, the inequality between men and women, very present in some of the countries of origin of the immigrant population, means that violence is seen as normal for the aggressors and also for the victims.
Therefore, the Head of the Unit has made clear that it is of fundamental importance to regulate the intervention of the professionals of the resources that make up the System of Reception of International and Temporary Protection, through protocols that establish criteria for homogeneous intervention in situations of violence against women and minors, in particular in cases of gender violence, harassment, sexual violence, trafficking, etc.
It is also key to coordinate the actions and network work of all the actors involved, in order to provide an efficient institutional response and, to this end, he said, “the training of all the staff working in the first reception devices for immigrants is fundamental”.