The Feminist Network calls to continue maintaining the fight against sexist violence

«Feminists, the feminist movement, have to gather in the streets to respond to the fight against violence against women, because we continue to be murdered and violated»added Marrero.

“We cannot let go of the pulse, nor the hand of the victims, if the administrations do not accompany them, the feminist movement has to show its face and that is what we will do this Saturday at the demonstration,” said the activist.

The motto chosen this year ‘The time of silence is over!’ joins that of the Spanish national team footballers after the non-consensual kiss of Luis Rubiales, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, to Jenny Hermoso in the World Cup final in Australia.

«The time of silence is over. Minutes of silence are not worth it to us. We value facts, resources and actions and for that we need everyone on the street,” said another of the Network’s spokespersons, Nereida Vizuete.

Budget cuts at the ICI

Asked about the cuts in the budget of the Canary Islands Equality Institute (ICI), the representative of the Network recalled that they had denounced it precisely this week and that they see them “with great concern.” Here, Vizuete said, “is where public policies are demonstrated. They are demonstrated in the resources. It is not worth it for us to go out into the streets and wear purple ribbons these days.. We need them to put in the resources and make the services work. In terms of violence, all resources are insufficient, we have already been saying in previous years that we have had more resources than ever and, even so, they are insufficient. We see that complaints are increasing precisely because people are more aware, but that awareness has not fallen from the sky, it is the result of the work of the feminist movement and all those women and men who are in the streets raising awareness and giving names to the different types of violence. For this to continue happening there must be resources. On the other hand, the cut is brutal, almost 50% of the budget only in direct aid, let’s not talk about the cuts in talks, workshops, conferences, studies,… in everything that will help prevent this violence from occurring. We cannot then complain and go out into the street saying that we have one more victim, observe a minute of silence and stay as we are. We have to work to ensure that it does not happen and that those that do happen have solutions and this requires political will and a budget,” stated the spokesperson for the Feminist Network of Gran Canaria.

Nereida Vizuete recalled that since 2003, the year in which sexist violence began to be counted in Spain, 1,236 women have been murdered. «This year we brought 52 women and we are waiting to confirm another one. In the Canary Islands there are four women murdered by sexist violence. The archipelago is one of the communities with the highest incidence and where complaints of gender violence have increased the most. Women tolerate less and less. That’s why that cry of ‘It’s over!’ to which we are joining. We are not willing to accept more violence. But you have to put in the resources.”

The demonstration, callAt 12:00 p.m. in the capital of Gran Canaria, it will depart from the Plaza de Santa Ana marching towards the San Telmo park. where the Gran Canaria Feminist Network will read the manifesto.