“When we talk about the need to break the silence against male violence, it is very important to talk about society and not to focus on the victims.”
The Head of the Coordination Unit Against Violence Against Women of the Government Delegation in Melilla, Laura Segura, in an interview granted to Television Melilla, explained that “it is key that it is denounced” but warned that not all women are prepared to do so, “and we have to be and accompany them in that process and that finally, the crime can be prosecuted”.
That is why he has called on society to break that silence. “That’s where we all have to be together,” he said, referring to all the institutions but also to society in general.
The Head of the Unit has presented the campaign “Now Spain is another” on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which is commemorated on 25N. “This year’s message is very powerful because it summarizes how such important progress has been made in our society in recent years in terms of gender violence,” she said.
Segura has pointed out that the campaign is a necessity not only to say “it’s over” on the part of the victims, but also means that the rest of society denounces this type of aggression towards women. He has made it clear that, when machista attitudes or certain harmful expressions are allowed, it is because society is very aware of the permissibility of violence. “Sometimes we don’t have the courage to stand up and denounce this as aggression. However, we are aware that something is changing and that now Spain is condemning machista attitudes,” he said.
At this point, the head of the Unit Coordination Against Violence Against Women has opted to prevent all gender violence in educational centers from very early ages. “On November 14, the Violet Suitcases project was launched again, an activity focused on all students of Primary and Children and Secondary and Baccalaureate, which has 60 books each, with children and youth readings to promote equality, to break with gender stereotypes and for the prevention of male violence, and who are going to travel through all the educational centers of the city,” he said.
25N activities
Laura Segura has announced that tomorrow, Thursday, at 10:00 am in the IES ‘Virgen de la Victoria’ the institutional act of Meninas recognition will take place. “It is the most important annual event that the Government Delegation does in the field of gender violence, where people who fight against this type of scourge are recognized,” he said.
This year, 3 meninas will be delivered, specifically to Laura Santa Pau, Chief Prosecutor of the Melilla Area Prosecutor’s Office and Specialist Prosecutor on Gender Violence, Trafficking in Persons and Foreigners; to Salvador Vargas, Corporal 1 of the Civil Guard and Head of the Crime Against Persons Team of the Organic Judicial Police Unit of the Civil Guard Command of Melilla; and to the Family and Women Unit of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Melilla (FURAM). In addition, honorable mentions will be granted to the ‘León Solá’ Center, the NGO Fiet Gratia and the Melilla Penitentiary Center.
That same afternoon, at 8 p.m., a colloquium will be held in the Assembly Hall of the University of Granada against this violence, where the author Elena Cueto will present her book ‘Peace in search of Innocence’.
On Friday, at 11 a.m., the Government Delegation will read the manifesto on the occasion of the 25N and the minute of silence carried out in memory and tribute to the victims of gender violence. Once completed, the institution will join the act of the Autonomous City at 12:00 at the door of the Assembly Palace.