- The Government of Spain places 111 Violeta Points in the offices of the different services it provides in Euskadi
- The delegate of the Government, Marisol Garmendia, highlights that this type of initiatives reflect "the firm commitment of this Government in the fight against gender violence, a violence that cannot be denied"
- The placement of these Violeta Points is the beginning of an awareness campaign promoted by the Government Delegation against gender violence, which will include exhibitions and conferences.
The delegate of the Government in the Basque Country, Marisol Garmendia, visited today the office of Foreigners of the Subdelegation of Álava that has become a Violeta Point of attention to the victims of male violence. This initiative, which has been presented by the delegate as one of the public policies against male violence, will be implemented in up to 111 units and services offered by the Government of Spain in the Basque Country to citizens, including the Government Delegation in the Basque Country, the three Subdelegations of the Government in Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, and service offices such as the National Institute of Social Security, Sepe, Social Security Treasury, Aliens or Traffic Headquarters. In total, there are 51 Violeta Points in Bizkaia, 41 in Gipuzkoa and another 19 in Álava.
The Government Delegation in the Basque Country has designed an intense campaign with the intention of raising public awareness against male violence. An initiative that will be developed throughout this autumn and that covers from the placement of these 111 Violeta Points in the different headquarters of the General Administration of the State in the Basque Country to the delivery of the Menina Awards around November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This ‘Purple Autumn’ also includes an outdoor exhibition, the screening of a short film as well as lectures at the UPV campuses in Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa.
Marisol Garmendia has been forceful in highlighting the need for this campaign against Male Violence launched by the Government Delegation. “The latest assaults suffered by women in San Sebastian and Vitoria are unacceptable and despicable, but they show that evil is still there and that all institutions must continue to work to tackle it. The existence of the Violet Points will make it easier for women to have all the information to know where to go in case they are victims of aggression or suffer machismo that impede their freedom and security,” he said.
The Violeta Points include a QR code that allows access to all the necessary information for women who require advice on the best way to proceed in case of machista attacks, as well as the most relevant contacts and addresses where to go in case of need.
The delegate pointed out that initiatives such as the Violeta Points demonstrate “the firm commitment of this Government in the fight against gender violence, a violence that cannot be denied, that is structural and that kills women simply because they are women. Male violence is a social and public problem that concerns all people.” “At the Violeta Points, potential victims of male violence will know that they are places where workers can help them and direct them to specialized services, offering them the information they need. The goal has to be to always arrive on time.”
To this end, specific training has been provided to civil servants in the area of gender-based violence to deal with and detect cases. The delegate thanked "the commitment of the staff of the Administration and their willingness to attend to the possible victims."
“Negationism only strengthens the abuser,” said the delegate. “Aggression and machismo are an evil in our society. Each of us can do something to eradicate that violence. The system needs to be strengthened to be more agile and effective in the response."
‘Autumn purple’
The implementation of these Violeta Points is part of a campaign of events and actions aimed at raising public awareness in the fight against Gender Violence that the Government Delegation in the Basque Country will carry out during this autumn. Thus, citizens will be able to enjoy an exhibition in the public street of Vitoria-Gasteiz about the perception of adolescents about male violence.
Presentations have also been organized at the three campuses of the UPV aimed at teachers and students to alert them to the effects of porn socialization among adolescents and young people, a phenomenon through which they internalize as normal patterns of behavior that are very harmful and that objectify women. The lectures will be given by the specialist Carmen Ruiz Repullo.
This awareness campaign in the fight against Gender Violence also includes the screening and a colloquium/debate of the documentary “The reality of trafficking in our environment”, together with the NGO Fiet Gratia in October. And by mid-November it is planned to deliver the Menina 2024 Recognitions by the Government Delegation in the Basque Country to the groups and people who have stood out in their fight against male violence.