Marina Baixa, united against gender violence

The Marina Baixa region has united to cry out against gender violence. Representatives of the eight towns with the largest population have marched in Benidorm to say 'enough' to a social scourge that so far this year has claimed the lives of at least 44 women and eight children, leaving 20 others orphaned. Several people, representatives of different social groups and women, participated in the march, which took place between the SSMM Kings of Spain Square and the Statue of Peace - located at the confluence of the Europe and Mediterranean avenues. the mayors of Benidorm, Toni Pérez; La Nucía, Bernabé Cano; l'Alfàs del Pi, Vicente Arques; Polop, Gabriel Fernández; Callosa d'En Sarrià, Josep Saval; and Finestrat, Juan Francisco Pérez.

Before starting the march, a minute of silence was observed in the Plaza SSMM Kings of Spain in memory of these women, and a manifesto was read by the councilors and councilors of Equality Benidorm, Paquita Ripoll; La Nucía, Gemma Márquez; l'Alfàs, Genoveva Tent; Polop, Marie France Berenguer; Callosa d'En Sarrià, Rosa Mª Savall; Finestrat, Mª Amelia Mayor; Altea, Diego Martínez; and Villajoyosa, Pilar Baigorri.

The joint manifesto on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women has warned that "far from diminishing" this violence "is increasing with figures that need much more than a timely reflection and a nominal adherence when this date". Thus, "combating this scourge is everyone's work", "constant" and "decided", and that "much remains to be done".

Since the region has been held "the birth of the Valencian Pact Against Gender Violence and the State Pact," emerged to "provide a solution to the political and social conflict that currently supposes sexist terrorism." Among the measures they collect is that of coordinating the work in a network for the care of victims, protocols in primary health care and in emergencies to detect possible cases, and the promotion of equal values ​​in education.

In this sense, the manifesto has emphasized that "promoting equality" is the basis of prevention and a task to be carried out "from school, in families and through the media", without losing the perspective of that more and more cases of gender violence occur among young people.

Finally, a call has been made to men "who feel equality as their own (...), who are not herds but people who fight with women to end sexist violence".

After the reading of the manifesto the march has been undertaken, led by a crown in memory of the victims that the mayor of Benidorm and the Councilor for Equality of the city have placed at the foot of the Statue of Peace, and in which they appear the names of all women murdered by their partners or former partners this year. Toni Pérez has placed in that crown the name of the last victim, murdered yesterday in Vinaròs (Castellón).

After the march, the acts against gender violence in Benidorm have continued in the administrative extension of Els Tolls, where the residents association of the neighborhood has prepared a commemorative act entitled 'Gritos drowned', in which the councilor of Equality and the group of victims of mistreatment 'Women with Voice'.

Throughout the event, with poems, music and visual works, has been shown and denounced "the silent drama lived by millions of women in privacy."