“If there is one thing that characterizes violence against women is its persistence and its extension, women suffer violence in all parts of the world, it is systemic violence.” The Head of the Coordination Unit against Violence against Women of the Government Delegation in Melilla, Laura Segura, has participated in the Conference on Gender Violence ’20 years of struggle against an ancestral phenomenon. The response to gender violence after LO 1/2004’ of UNED Melilla”.
As the Head of the Unit explained, “training activities such as this one are very necessary and, above all, at a time of denial speeches they endanger the progress made, the risks of setbacks are fought with firm democratic convictions and with education in values, in rights, in principles, in equality and justice.”
Segura has highlighted the importance of raising awareness about the reality and magnitude of violence against women in our country and in the rest of the world, “in order to be able to address the prevention of violence against women and act from public policies to end violence that is structural and therefore needs to be addressed in an integral way.”
Prevention and detection of violence
In her speech, she has placed special emphasis on the importance of preventing and detecting gender-based violence from different areas and how specialized training of professionals who act before situations of violence against women is essential for this.
Therefore, she has addressed violence, highlighting the importance of extending this concept to violence to all violence suffered by women because they are women. “Gender-based violence does not only affect women, but also has a significant impact on sons and daughters, or on other children living in the home,” she added.
Coordination Units
During her presentation, Laura Segura explained what the Coordination Units against Violence against Women consist of, which depend on the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Function and the Ministry of Equality, through the Government Delegation Against Gender Violence and which are located in the Government Delegations in each Community and Autonomous City.
“The main objective is to improve the effectiveness and personalization of the response aimed at women victims of gender violence and their sons and daughters, as well as attention to other forms of gender violence, such as trafficking in women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced marriages, genital mutilation, etc.”, he explained.
To this end, it has publicized the resources of the State to respond and accompany the victims of male violence, such as VioGén 2, telephone 016, ATENPRO, etc. Laura Segura has made it clear that equality public policies and resources “save lives.”
20th anniversary LO 1/2004
In addition, the Head of the Unit has highlighted Organic Law 1/2004, of December 28, on Comprehensive Protection Measures against Gender Violence, which is now 20 years old.
In a conference on Organic Law 1/2004, Segura highlighted the figure of Ana Orantes, “who marked a before and an after”, recalling when Orantes denounced on television the violence she suffered during 40 years of marriage, on December 4, 1997.
In this regard, he defended that “his act of courage brought us here”, “taking male violence out of private life and turning it into a public issue”.
“Since then, there have been many advances in equality and violence against women, advances that are an example for many countries,” she said. “We have to keep in mind the great challenges that negationism poses and that put at risk what has been achieved,” he warned.
Violence Macrosurvey
According to data from the Macrosurvey on Violence against Women 2019, 89.6% of women who have suffered gender-based violence from a couple, who had children at the time of the episodes of violence, respond that their children witnessed or heard the violence.
This study reveals that 51.7% of women who had children at the time the episodes of violence occurred, and states that the sons and daughters themselves suffered violence at the hands of the violent couple.
1,678,959 minors live in homes where the woman is currently suffering some kind of violence (physical, sexual, control, emotional, economic or fear) in the couple.