- “Let’s defend the fundamentals by fighting against fundamentalism and keep working with the motivation and memory of all the innocent victims who have claimed this unreason,” said
- Francisco Jiménez has presided over the ceremony of handing over the Menina 2023 recognitions of the Government Delegation
- The colleges of Opticians and Procurators, the collective of artists Trazo 6 and Colonel Arribas have been awarded in this edition
November 24, 2023. “Welcome to the commemoration of a day that should not exist, since it is the evident observation that we live with a regrettable moral anomaly by which some individuals, parapetted after their only possible superiority, physics, exert violence on women,” said Francisco Jiménez at the beginning of his speech at the ceremony of handing over the Menina 2023 awards granted by the Government Delegation to those people, organizations or institutions that stand out in their fight against gender violence.
The government delegate has delivered the Meninas of this edition to the College of Opticians and Optometrists of the Region of Murcia, the Illustrious College of Prosecutors of Murcia, the collective of artists Trazo 6 and the colonel of the 5th zone of the Civil Guard, Jesús Arribas, who went to the reserve on October 7.
Jiménez has thanked the work and commitment of these groups and professionals and has encouraged the fight against social and political discourse that denies gender violence.
“Although in this struggle we commit all the human and material resources at our disposal, all its legal foundation can be compromised if it is questioned from the public and political discourse. Therefore, let us defend the fundamentals by fighting against fundamentalism and continue to work with the motivation and memory of all the innocent victims who have claimed this unreason”, he argued.
The delegate highlighted the magnitude of this challenge, and thanked all professionals, groups, administrations and volunteers committed to the cause, to make their daily work on November 25 daily.
“Because the integrity and well-being of victims of gender violence cannot be limited exclusively to the acts, hashtags and advertising campaigns that champion this day, but require the commitment, commitment and daily determination shown by professionals and volunteers committed to the cause,” he added, arguing that to do otherwise would be to betray the memory of the 52 women killed this year in Spain for gender violence.
“An ignominious figure that commits us and obliges us even more with the 4,723 cases of gender violence active today in the Region of Murcia and with the more than 3,000 victims who need police protection in our Community.”
Jiménez has acknowledged that these are “desperate” figures, which, however, “we must face without despair, with full confidence in the means, professionals and resources that the Government of Spain makes available to the victims.”
“Like telephone 016, empowered to deal with any form of violence against women, which has dealt with 2,400 calls this year from the Region of Murcia…, or the 327 residence and work authorizations granted to foreign women victims of gender violence, the Active Investment Income, which charges 1,332 battered women, or the 72 victims of gender violence who have obtained aid for change of residence, to give just a few examples,” he recalled.
Jiménez has highlighted the pioneering nature of Spain in the fight against gender violence, with milestones such as Organic Law 1/2004 of 28 December on comprehensive measures against violence against women or the approval 15 years later of the State Pact against Gender Violence.
“Thus, in application of this pact, the Government of Spain has this year allocated 6 million euros to the Region of Murcia to fight against all forms of male violence, and more than one million euros to our municipalities for the execution of programs related to the fight against gender violence,” he said.
Finally, the government delegate has reported that there are already 23 municipalities in the Region of Murcia that have joined the VIOGEN system of the Ministry of the Interior to share information, resources and capacities in the fight against gender violence.
“With this, this system already covers the protection of more than 62% of the population of the Region of Murcia and 72% of our territory, and has been shown as a very effective tool, so I encourage the other municipalities to request the incorporation of their respective local police to VIOGEN”, concluded