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VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR Vol. 1 Issue 33 www.theolivepress.es March 10th - March 23rd 2022 FREE
March 2022
Women’s Day
END THE VIOLENCE A CAPTION
Fiona Govan Digital News Editor
International Women’s Day – celebrated annually on March 8 – is a day that commemorates the social, political and achievements of women.economic This year is particularly as we watch our sister poignant Ukrainians suffer the brutal reality making our own perceivedof war, compared to other countries struggles for equality in our in Eu- voters clearly generally rope and worldwide. Until approved. safe environments pale into comration of the 2017 State the elabo- Vox also has made some question- parison. Pact, never able statements before had a government about women’s Eighty years ago, almost committed to the eradicationbeen so working roles. to the month, as the Second of genAnd when it comes to der violence.” raged, my grandmotherWorld War itself, the proportion the workplace as Quintanilla points out of women in a Jewish refugee, fled Kyiv that, in May managerial the only 2019, Spanish Congress positions remains around member of her family had the a third of that to survive. most female members of men with She lost her family, her home, her – 166, taking 47.4% in its history bers dropping even furtherthe num- belongings of seats. This reers as caand even made the Spanish parliament progress. she adopted a fake her name as the EU Spain's female identity and leader in gender parity. executives earn 15.1 forged papers to begin a new life, percent less than their In the Cabinet, that number male counter- firstly in Iran and then when is even parts, although higher, with women taking once this is just below the again forced to flee the major- EU average during the Isity of ministerial roles, including that according salary gap of 16 percent lamic Revolution, in England. of Deputy Prime Minister. to the latest EU data from But she never Not the top 2017. lost her job yet though. ble Ukrainian spirit and indomitaQuintanilla says: “On average, that same However, a backslide spirit is apparent in every image 2019 when the far-rightoccurred in ish women earn €5,977 less Span- of women per Vox - now than men broadcast from the Spain’s third largest and occupy more than year war-torn country political party of part-time 70% since the Rus- claimed that the gender violence en, 46% contracts. Of these wom- sian invasion - whether reporting law favours women and should be re- because affirm they are part-time from the frontline, sheltering placed with a family violence they care for dependents in bunkers spite this being controversial,law. De- cannot afford childcare services.” or to safety or trekking miles to get across borders. some Does Spain have a high femicide rate? March 8 is a day to celebrate The Spanish government site for do- grandmothers, our mothers, our mestic violence (DV) our sisters and provides annual statistics equality fellow and our daughters, our Sarah Cowley womankind and to femicide. At the end of about and together The new Deputy Head of come 2021, Spain in solidarity and peace Mission at the British Embassy became the first European in Madrid is a pioneer as country in the hope of creating a better to start recording all femicides, the first ever UK ambassador world. in cases where the aggressor even portantAnd this year it is more imto take maternity leave than ever. didn’t know the victim. Last year, 44 women Her message on International Women’s Day is one that and nine of the male were killed to all aspects of life and perpetrators transfers career. had previously “There is a responsibility been denounced for for those of us who have domestic violence (DV). do something to showcase been the first to that to others, so they can pares to 47 in 2020 and This comdone and how it can be see it can be Harking back a decade,55 in 2019. “Women shout not hide done. their achievements and 73 deaths of women at Spain had est about them. They may or be overly modthe hands of male partners or ex-partners but to other people they not seem like big achievements to you in 2003 and 72 in 2004, so You could be a role modelcould be really inspirational. rates have at and blaze a trail for what least decreased. others can do.” Spain’s come a long way tle for equality isn’t over but the batyet.
LTHOUGH Spain treats men and women equally by law, and the government worked hard to educate has the entire population about many women still report equality, sexist behaviour and ‘machista’ attitudes. rights. Some of the most outmoded atti- Feminists made tudes hark back to the rapid progress after Franco era of the dictator’s National Catholicism when, death and as Spain in 1939, developed the dictator removed as a democracy, women’s any powers rights started women had gained. to match those of other forced to be mothersFemales were European countries. wives, with no legal right and house- The husband’s permission rule was property, or get divorced.to work, own abolished in 1975, the adultery law go to prison for adultery,They could went in 1978, and divorce was legalstraying husbands weren’t although ised in 1981. punished. In 1987, A 1953 guide showed women how agreed the Spanish Supreme Court to be a good wife, including that a ensur- to prove they rape victim didn’t have ing that the house was had fought the children tidy, and dinner spotless, the In 2004, the government man back introduced Women were told not on the table. what is known as the “Integrated husband with “trivial” to bother their Law”, which funded the Government a patriarchal society, chatter. It was Delegation of Violence Against with women en. And, Womtreated as chattels. in 2017, a State Pact was formed against gender Progress has been made Carmen Quintanilla, viceviolence. Ever since Franco died president of in 1975, wom- AFAMMER, en’s groups and female which works for women have worked to rid the politicians in rural areas explained: “Spain is a ‘machista’ culture and country of a pioneer and benchmark country in secure equal terms of laws that ensure equality,
Spain has some of Europe’s most progressive gender government-funded education laws campaigns discouraging and violence. But is it working? Jo Chipchase takes a look. domestic
Blazing a trail
UKRAINE CRISIS SPECIAL
A special four-page pullout www.theolivepress.es
PEOPLE POWER: Protests have been held across Spain in anger at the Russian invasion
LAS FALLAS: Solidarity
Five-star help A FIVE-point plan has been launched by the Valencian government to help Ukrainian refugees. Regional president Ximo Puig wants to turn the Valencian Community into a ‘humanitarian corridor because we are a hospitable society committed to the values of freedom’. The plan includes €300,000 of medical supplies which were flown out of the Torrejon de Ardoz airbase, alongside €2 million worth from the Ministry of Cooperation's emergency fund. Meanwhile a '112 Ukraine' service is being set up to offer help and information to refugees who come to the Valencian Community which has over 30,000 Ukrainian residents. The Ministry of Health is allocating over 2,000 beds in regional hospitals, while a provisional SIP Health card allows immediate state health service access for refugees.
Cruel irony Ukrainian expat terrified her Kyiv-based daughter could be killed by her ex-husband, a Russian soldier UKRAINIAN Halyna Surkova (pictured right), 53, has poured her heart out to the Olive Press about the shocking irony of her daughter who is currently trapped in the besieged city, while her father is attacking it. The translator fears her daughter, 31, and her grandson, 3, could be killed while cowering in a basement as Putin’s forces surround the city. “I am suffering a lot of distress, I had to visit the doctor because this situation is heavily impacting my mental health,” revealed the former Kyiv resident. “It is terrible to think that my ex-husband is among the forces that could kill his own
Open every day Closed Monday
EXCLUSIVE By Jorge Hinojosa
daughter.” She added he was a senior and ‘very experienced’ soldier, who had killed ‘many times’ before. However she didn’t want to give more information for reasons of her family’s security and safety. She has only managed to have intermittent contact with her family back home since the invasion began two weeks ago. “Many of my family, especially the children, are very afraid. They are living in basements and fear for their lives,” she explained. Describing the close relationship between the Russian and Ukrainian communities in Spain, she insists she doesn’t blame Russians individually. “I have a very good rela-
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tionship with some Russians here,” she said. “The majority of them disagree with Putin, but they are scared to share their views.” According to the Spanish Institute of Statistics (INE), 112,000 Ukrainians live in Spain, 56% of whom are based in Madrid, Valencia and Andalucia. Some 79,485 Russians are officially registered as residents. Despite all the damage the war is causing Ukraine, she is trying to stay positive about the future. “If Ukraine joins the EU, it will grow economically because Ukrainians are very hard-workers,” she insisted. Opinion Page 3 See Ukraine Special, pages 2 & 3
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