The director of the Balearic Women's Institute, Rosa Cursach, and the ministers for social services, health and employment - respectively, Fina Santiago, Patricia Gómez and Iago Negueruela - took part today in marches held in Madrid and Palma against gender violence.
7 November was the date chosen by feminist movements in Spain to claim that gender violence should be considered as a form a terrorism and therefore be a matter of state. The regional government has made clear that it supports this and so has participated "in the national march against gender violence taking place in Madrid and other Spanish cities".
Cursach was in Madrid for the march that started at midday from the ministry of health, social services and equality and which ended in the Plaza España. The three Balearic ministers took part in the march in Palma, one arranged by Majorca feminist groups. There was also a rally and the declaration of a manifesto in Ibiza. The government had urged "the citizenship and civil society" to support an "historic day" which had been called by feminist groups.
Since 1995, 1,378 women have died as a result of gender violence in Spain. The feminist movement believes that this violence is the consequence of a society that tolerates inequality. Because of this, it has demanded that violence against women is made a matter of state and that the whole of society as well as institutions commit to fighting such violence and making its prevention a policy priority.