More than 300 women turn each year to the resources offered by the Cabildo de Lanzarote against gender violence, through the Center for Equality and Attention to Women (CIAM). In addition, during the past year the emergency device was activated more than 70 times on the island.
This was announced this Friday by the Minister of Social Welfare and Health of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Marciano Acuña, during the inauguration of the 'V Conference on Awareness of Gender Violence and Disability' in Lanzarote.
In his speech, Acuña explained that from the first Institution has carried out "an important effort to maintain all the benefits in this regard, as well as increase awareness and prevention campaigns aimed at young people." "It is important to make them aware from an early age that any aggressive behavior in that sense is totally out of place," said the Minister of Social Welfare.
For his part, the island director of the General State Administration in Lanzarote, Juan Prats, recalled that in Spain there have been 39 murders of women victims of this violence this year, 2 of them from the Canary Islands, as well as several cases of children, who have also been fatal victims of these acts. He also had words of remembrance for all of them and "for any woman who may be suffering abuse at this time".
10 percent of women have suffered violence
In addition, he released data from a survey, in which "10 percent of women said they had suffered abuse at some point." In contrast, "72 percent of women who have suffered gender violence have finally left that hell behind".
"The elimination of gender violence is a challenge for the whole society and actions must be undertaken with the involvement of a multitude of agents, whether public or private, in a multidisciplinary or transversal manner," he said. In addition, Prats stressed that of the 52 fatal victims of gender violence in 2012, 7 of them suffered from disabilities.
In this regard, the director of the Canarian Institute for Equality (ICI), Elena Máñez, argued that "the real dimension of sexist violence goes beyond the figures." "There are still many women who are immersed in the situation of violence," said Máñez, who said it is important to send a message of security and confidence so that they go to specialized services, to know their rights" and receive "support to take the first step and get out of the circle" of gender violence.
"Minors are also victims of sexist violence in all cases," stressed Elena Máñez, who advocated increasing the degree of social awareness, carrying out coordinated work in all possible areas of action.
The disabled, more vulnerable
Regarding the issue of disability, he pointed out that to address the issue of women and disability, it must be understood from the perspective of women's diversity. "Women with disabilities are more vulnerable to situations of violence, because they have greater economic dependence. There is an overprotection of the family and sometimes they depend on the care of the abuser," said Máñez, who added that all these elements contribute to this greater vulnerability of women with disabilities and must be taken into account when intervening with them.
These conferences are organized, as in previous editions, within the framework of collaboration established between the Cabildo de Lanzarote and the Canarian Institute for Equality, an autonomous body of the Government of the Canary Islands.
On this occasion, more than 160 people have participated in the Conference, including legal professionals, health professionals and security and emergency forces, as well as associations in the field of women and gender violence, and private citizens.
The Minister of Social Welfare and Health of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Marciano Acuña, thanked the participation of all the speakers who participate this year, such as the psychiatrist and head of the Mental Health Services of Hortaleza, of the Madrid Health Service, with his presentation on the particularities in the therapeutic approach of women victims of gender violence; or that offered by Antonio Escudero Nafs, psychiatrist of the program for minors and adults of the Majadahonda Health Center.