The Arrecife City Council announced this Wednesday that a Violet Point will be installed during the celebration of El Verbenazo, scheduled for this weekend. The objective of this measure is to raise awareness in society in the fight against gender violence, provide information on how to act in the event of sexist violence, involve establishments, entities, companies and public bodies in the fight against this scourge, and inform victims of all the resources available to them.
The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León Machín, remarked in a statement that his government group will continue to implement in the events "these violet points to assist and promote values in society, such as respect, tolerance, protection and commitment in order to achieve a coexistence in society free of sexist aggressions".
For her part, the Councilor for Social Welfare, Equality and Immigration, Maite Corujo, highlighted that "this service provides information to women about the spaces where they can safely go for advice and support in the face of any type of aggression, whether verbal or physical, harassment, abuse or discrimination".
The Violet Point will be located in an easily identifiable booth in the vicinity of Reducto Beach, where El Verbenazo will take place from 7:00 p.m. with the performance of Mambo Latino, Banda Loca and Corinto Band.
State Pact
The initiative is financed by the Secretary of State for Equality and against Gender Violence of the Ministry of Equality, through the Funds of the State Pact against Gender Violence, destined to the realization of projects and programs aimed at the prevention and eradication of gender violence by local entities.
Last year Arrecife received 71,095.60 euros from these Funds for the realization of projects executed between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. During this period, the Arrecife City Council, through the Department of Social Welfare, Equality and Immigration, has activated the Violet Point service in two events with maximum public attendance such as the San Ginés festivities last year and the Carnival of the current year.
But also, in compliance with the measures established by the aforementioned State Pact against Gender Violence, the City Council has launched other actions such as the campaign #Entiéndelo: This is also violence', aimed at adolescents and young high school students, teachers and families, with the aim of raising awareness and preventing cyber violence in relationships between couples or ex-partners among adolescents.
The campaign consisted of training the educational community in cyber violence, the creation of a documentary video and advertising dissemination through posters and vinyls on municipal buses where information on cyber violence was accessed through a QR code.
Also last year, following the signing of the collaboration agreement between the Arrecife City Council and the Ministry of the Interior, the VioGén System, a protocol of collaboration and coordination between the State security forces and bodies and the Local Police of Arrecife for the protection of victims of gender violence, began to be implemented.
Race against Gender Violence
In addition, in coordination with the Cabildo of Lanzarote, the Arrecife City Council organized the X Race against Gender Violence on November 26, in order to convey to society the need for a commitment of unity against the violence suffered by women and minors who are victims of gender violence, contributing to their necessary involvement and participation in order to eradicate this social scourge and actively fight against sexist violence.
Finally, through the aforementioned Funds, the capital City Council organized last March the I Women and Health Conference City of Arrecife, with the aim of disseminating the way in which gender inequality affects women's health, who received information for the knowledge of their own body and attention to their needs through health professionals.
