- The Government delegation in the Basque Country awards these awards for the seventh time to institutions and people who have stood out for their commitment in the fight against gender violence
- Denis Itxaso expresses that, through these awards, “the Ministry of Equality intends to make visible a fundamental work to eradicate gender violence”
The association Fiet Gratia, the City of Vitoria and the ertzaina Xabier Peña Koka will receive this year the ‘Menina 2023 recognition’ awards that the Government delegation in the Basque Country awards annually to recognize and support the work of institutions, associations and individuals of the Autonomous Community in the fight against gender violence.
The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 22 at 11 a.m. at the Palacio de Villa Suso in Vitoria-Gasteiz. This ceremony is the culmination of the awareness shown one more year by the Government delegation with the fight against gender violence and joins the conferences on ‘Consumption of pornography, youth and sexual health’ given by the sexologist and doctor in Gender and Diversity, María Rodríguez Suárez, in the three campuses of the UPV in October.
Denis Itxaso reaffirms the Government’s commitment to the fight against gender violence. “Through the Menina Awards, the Ministry of Equality intends to make visible a fundamental work, a social muscle that faces every day the inescapable work of eradicating gender violence,” says the government delegate in the Basque Country.
As on previous occasions, the ‘Menina 2023 Recognitions’ have been awarded in three categories:
· Basque citizen who has done outstanding work in the fight against gender violence: Xabier Peña Koka, member of the team in Gender Violence in the Ertzaintza.
· Basque social collective that has stood out for its commitment in the fight against gender violence: Fiet Gratia, an association that works with Security Forces and Bodies on the issue of trafficking in women.
· Project or public initiative highlighted in the Basque area for its capacity to spread awareness against gender violence: City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz for the training courses in prevention of male violence given to personnel of shops and hotel establishments.
WINNING SEMBLANCE
Menina recognition to the Basque social collective
FIET GRATIA. (Association that works together with State Bodies and Forces on the issue of trafficking in women).
Since its foundation in Spain in 2009 as a Development and Humanitarian Aid NGO, FIET GRATIA has worked to defend people who are in a situation of social injustice, such as refugees, victims of trafficking, and gender violence, and all those who have suffered serious violations of their fundamental rights. It is declared of Public Utility by Ministerial Order of the Interior on June 10, 2022.
FIET GRATIA in the Basque Country: since 2020, it has been working in the Basque Country, focusing mainly on strengthening the detection of victims and possible victims of trafficking in human beings and women in vulnerable situations in prostitution contexts.
They also focus on making women aware of the support network that they can access, within the Basque Country, through the services provided by both private social entities and public bodies, with which they work together. During these three years they have served more than 950 women in situations of vulnerability in prostitution contexts.
We highlight its work of training and sensitization both to agents involved in working with women in this situation and to society in general through participation in conferences, conferences and in the organization of sensitization activities.
Menina recognition to project or outstanding public initiative
City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The City of Vitoria-Gasteiz provides training to businesses and hotels in the prevention of male violence.
The staff of businesses and hospitality establishments affiliated to GasteizOn, Aenkomer, Arabadendak, Kutxiko Taskeroak, the El Boulevard Shopping Center and others will begin an important initiative such as training courses in prevention of male violence. This initiative is part of the campaign that was promoted by the Equality Service last year and that has been worked with commercial and hotel associations since then.
The commitment and involvement shown by this group has been fundamental for the City of Vitoria-Gasteiz to have decided to offer basic training on the principles of gender equality.
The training will be face-to-face and will include information on how to identify situations of male violence and the actions that must be carried out before them, as well as raising awareness about the serious consequences that male violence has on society and information about the resources existing in the city to help those who are in situations of vulnerability.
Menina recognition to the Basque citizen
Xabier Peña Koka. Independent professional as a voter from October 2020 to the present at ANAI (National Association of Equality Agents).
This Association encourages the development of the profession of Equality Agents. For this reason, the research, study and dissemination of knowledge in the field of Equal Opportunities, both in the business fields and in the fields of municipal, community and national action, become its main mission.
Expert in Equality and Gender, Training in Police Mediation, Equality Officer, Expert in Evaluations of Labor Conflicts due to Sexual or Gender Harassment, Remunerative Auditor in Equality.
In addition, he is Commissioner, Head of Research at the Ertzaintza Police Station in Donostia-San Sebastián (Gipuzkoa), member of the Violence Process Team of Gerero in the Ertzaintza, former member of the Equality Group in the Ertzaintza, expert and auditor in Quality of Standard ISO/9001/2000-2008-2015 in the processes of Gender Violence and Detention, expert in Male Violence, Gender Violence, Domestic Violence, Vicarious Violence and Filio-Disciplinary Violence.