Once again, the Violeta Point will be in each of the Casetas of the fairgrounds of the patron saint’s parties of Melilla.

The Delegate of the Government Sabrina Moh, and the Head of the Coordination Unit against Violence Against Women, Laura Segura, have announced the poster with the QR code that will be present and visible in all the spaces of the Fair 2024 in the Caseta del Tren.

“We want safe spaces so that all Melillense citizens can enjoy the patron saint’s festivities without having to suffer any type of aggression, on equal terms and free of male violence,” stressed the head of the Government Delegation who stressed the importance of continuing to put measures, such as the Violeta Point initiative, to eradicate male violence.

“Awareness campaigns are always important, especially on such important dates,” said Moh, who recalled that the work for Equality done by the Unit covers 365 days of the year but that, at specific times, such as parties and spaces where many people gather, “it is important, even more if possible, to raise awareness among all citizens that we can have fun, that we can enjoy our holiday without anyone having to suffer any type of aggression, especially women we do not have to endure these machista violence.”

Moh has thanked the people responsible for the different Houses for their involvement and collaboration so that all the spaces of the Fair are safe and so that everyone can enjoy the fairground reciento with all the guarantees.

Safe parties

As Segura has recalled, the Violeta Point as such is an instrument promoted by the Government of Spain and born from the need to continue acting and working to end and eradicate violence against women and that “it is born at a specific and key moment that demonstrated the need we had as a society, to act in the face of structural violence and this moment was the COVID-19 pandemic”.

“From that moment we observed the need for change to be a paradigm shift in terms of the response as a society because until now we had worked hard with women, with the response to them, with the awareness of the victims, so that they would act and leave those spaces of violence, but it was necessary to raise awareness in society and we are in it,” he said. This Violet Point, which will be in each and every one of the spaces of the Fair, “supposes the implementation of this paradigm shift,” he said.

Delving into this matter, the Head of Unit explained that this instrument has a series of lines of action. The first is the awareness-raising campaign for society, but also the information campaign for women who may be suffering from gender-based violence.

Therefore, each house will have a signage in which a QR code appears where a guide is displayed in which there is all the information on how to act in the face of a case of violence against women, how to act if we are victims, how to act if we know that a case of violence is taking place or has occurred, and how to act in the face of any form of violence, not only gender violence, but also sexual violence or other form of violence that can be walked on the body of women.

Tranquility and security

On the other hand, “society is going to try to keep in mind that the device of the Violeta Point supposes that this is a Fair in which women are going to be safe,” he said, while the Government Delegation has called on women to attend the patron saint’s festivities “with tranquility and security, knowing that this is a space that also belongs to them.”

In turn, also, a call to society in general so that all people can enjoy this 2024 Fair in an equal way and in respect for the people who are nearby.

In her speech to the media, Laura Segura has advanced that they plan to distribute fans, which will be made available to the Autonomous City so that it can distribute it among the citizens within the information point against male violence.

“These fans in turn have this QR code that unfolds us to the information guide that we consider to be a fairly simple and affordable guide that anyone can see at a fast time and that allows us, in addition, to approach each of the spaces and resources of the State in matters of gender violence such as 016 and telephone services, emergency, Civil Guard, National Police… as well as the autonomous services such as the 24-hour Crisis Center, because anyone can report a situation of sexual assault that could occur in the environment of the Fair.”

Finally, both Moh and Segura have shown their desire that Melillense society can enjoy this Fair with security and equality, with respect and tolerance, “as we deserve and as the whole of Melillense society deserves”.