The delegate of the Government of Spain in the Basque Country, Marisol Garmendia, has brought together women from the General Administration of the State and from the Security Forces and Corps to make their presence and the relevance of their work in the Basque Country visible on the occasion of the celebration of 8M.
Marisol Garmendia stressed that “the General Administration of the State in the Basque Country is today a predominantly female organization. More women than men work in their different bodies and functional areas, and the presence of women in management positions is approaching full equality, something that only a few years ago seemed difficult to imagine. Women treat people with closeness, empathy and solidarity and people value it. This progress reflects a profound change in our society and our institutions. Also in the State Security Corps there is a significant increase in the presence of women, consolidating step by step greater equality in areas that historically had been very masculinized.”
“The Government of Spain chaired by Pedro Sánchez is promoting concrete measures and policies that demonstrate that equality between women and men is a just and necessary cause to continue strengthening democratic values, social cohesion and justice. We must continue to move forward to tear down the glass ceilings that still persist and make fewer and fewer occasions when a woman has to be the first to reach certain spaces of responsibility,” said Garmendia.
For the second consecutive year, and within the framework of the activities commemorating International Women’s Day, women belonging to the National Police, the Civil Guard and the Armed Forces participated this Friday in Vitoria-Gasteiz in a meeting with the Government delegate, with the aim of sharing experiences and analyzing common challenges to continue advancing in the achievement of real and effective equality between women and men.
A conference on Emotional Management by Naiara Antepara (Burubide Psychology Center) has given way to a dialogue with the attendees of the event.
In the National Police, 14% of the troops in the Basque Country are women. In the Civil Guard, women currently account for 12.29% of the total number of personnel assigned in the Basque Country. And in the Army, the percentage of women present in the Basque Country is approximately 10%. These percentages are similar to the average in Spain although the number of women in the various State Security Forces and Bodies is increasing in recent years.
As the delegate of the Government stresses, “very important steps are being taken with women of great value and qualification in the chains of command of the Security Corps and the Army in the Basque Country, but we have to continue working to increase this presence until we reach complete equalization,” says Marisol Garmendia.
Equality that has already been achieved in the General Administration of the State in the Basque Country, in which 64% of the people currently working are women. At the managerial level, the percentage of women practically reaches parity, with 48%.
A large representation of women from the General Administration of the State also participated on Thursday in a meeting held in the Government Delegation in Vitoria-Gasteiz. A meeting that, in the words of Marisol Garmendia, highlighted the reality of the society in which we live. “Women represent half of society and it is a matter of social and democratic justice to fully recognize our ability and professionalism to develop and lead any area of life on equal terms, with equal work opportunities, equal pay and equal responsibilities.” Half a hundred women from the AGE attended with interest the presentation given by Begoña Rueda, Dean of the Official College of Psychology of Biscay, on ‘Mental Health and Gender. Some shared reflections.’