The Island Commission for Coordination of the Comprehensive System for Prevention and Protection of Women against Gender Violence of Lanzarote held its constitutive session this Thursday in the Cabildo, in which the internal regulations of this new collegiate body of a consultative and permanent information nature were approved. Attached to the Social Welfare Area of the first Island Corporation, its main purpose is to "monitor and follow up on situations of violence against women on the island and the effect of institutional policies implemented in this area".
The area's councillor, Marciano Acuña, explained that this commission represents "one more tool in the work that the various social and institutional agents must carry out so that equality between genders is a reality in our society". Among the members of the plenary are, in addition to the Cabildo of Lanzarote, island women's associations, the Canary Islands Institute of Equality, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Island Directorate of the General State Administration, the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands, the Canary Islands Federation of Municipalities, trade union and business organizations, as well as representatives of the Bar Associations, Psychologists and Social Workers.
According to the Cabildo, the functions of the Commission are to "establish island pacts that will serve as a tool to develop and implement measures contained in the specific regulations for this matter; collect information on programs and activities carried out by the various Public Administrations in the area of gender violence and present proposals on the rules and actions to be carried out by them; promote studies or initiatives on projects and programs related to gender violence and promote awareness initiatives; ensure compliance with state regulations in this area; as well as formulate proposals for action to Public Administrations that may contribute, remedy or limit gender violence".
Collaborate, propose and channel initiatives
It is also contemplated among its attributions "to collaborate with other forums and institutions that work in the defense of women's rights and specifically in gender violence; propose measures for the adequate fulfillment of the recommendations emanating from supranational organizations in matters of gender violence; transfer to the competent bodies those discriminatory behaviors that denigrate women or violate the principle of equality; give course to the initiatives and suggestions that are addressed to the Island Commission by people or groups not represented in it; disseminate values of equality among people as a measure to prevent gender violence, thus avoiding discrimination based on sex, and defend the rights and interests of women".
In addition, it will act as a "permanent observatory that collects, records and analyzes objective information and data on gender violence, will issue reports on all relevant issues regarding discrimination against women in general and gender violence in particular, will analyze the extent and evolution of gender violence on the island, and will facilitate and promote cooperation with social partners, research centers, Canary universities and NGOs, among other organizations".
The constitutive session of the Commission was attended, among others, by the Deputy Minister of Justice of the Government of the Canary Islands, Joaquín Herrera, and the island director of the General State Administration in Lanzarote, Juan Prats. The plenary, chaired by Marciano Acuña, will meet in ordinary session twice a year, apart from others that may be convened on an extraordinary basis.