Madrid (EFE).- The State Pact against gender violence expired in September 2022, but when Congress and the Senate got to work to renew it with new measures, the electoral call on July 23 leaves it in the air, with the doubt of if the future composition of the Cortes will allow a new unitary agreement.
The pact, which has marked institutional activity for five years to combat different forms of violence against women and has guaranteed its financing, garnered the support of all political groups, except Vox, in November 2021 for its renewal.
When it was approved, in 2017, the only dissenting vote was that of Podemos, which opted to abstain, considering the agreed measures insufficient. Vox did not yet have parliamentary representation.
Although we now have to wait for the new chamber and the future tenants of the Moncloa to start the machinery again, experts consulted by EFE believe that the political commitment will not be altered.
A large committed majority
“We are sure, from the experience we have, that a political change in Spain will not mean taking steps back in the fight against sexist violence,” the president of the Observatory against Domestic and Gender Violence of the General Council of Judiciary (CGPJ), María Ángeles Carmona.
As he points out, the “vast majority” of parliamentary groups have shown great concern about the fight against gender violence, for which they are convinced that in the future “it will continue to be so”.
Concepción Freire San José, a member of the board of directors of the Themis Association of Women Jurists, agrees with her, who assures Efe that, in her opinion, the State pact “is not in danger.”
“Another thing is the budget allocation,” points out Freire, who also warns that, until the agreement is renewed, the “push” that the government was proposing to give to the pact and the approval of new measures to reinforce it will be paralyzed.
Need for new protocols
Among these, Freire highlights the need for new protocols to improve the safety of victims, such as the increase in devices for telematic monitoring of aggressors, or more budget and means so that women “are not forced to not report for economic reasons ”.
For Carmona, the end of the validity of the pact requires “putting on the table what measures remain to be implemented”, in addition to “re-making a budgetary effort” to promote all the tools and resources necessary to protect women at risk and their children.
“The State Pact has placed Spain at the forefront of the world in the fight against sexist violence, it has led to very important legislative changes, as well as a greater improvement in coordination between institutions and in protocols”, highlights the president of the Observatory, who He trusts that a hypothetical change of sign in the Government will not have a “special impact” on that text.
Although the pact had a specific duration, from 2017 to 2022, Freire stresses that “it is still in force” and that all the measures put in place “are extended until another is tried again.”
“All the tools, especially those referring to assistance matters that are the responsibility of the autonomous communities, can be in force and continue to be continuously updated,” agrees Carmona, who specifies that, as regards the budgetary part, the State pact ” It is still in force” and the transfers corresponding to the autonomous regions will be made next week.
In his opinion, the State pact must be “totally above political changes.” “Spain cannot allow itself to lower its guard,” he warns.