During an event held to celebrate International Women’s Day, President Puigdemont reaffirmed his commitment in making gender equality a priority for the current legislature. The President insisted that to celebrate the event every year is not only a “symbolic” gesture but also an “act of justice and political commitment” as it recognises the people’s fight for freedom and women’s rights around the world. Today’s event took place in the Palau de la Generalitat and consisted of a series of speeches by President Puigdemont, Teresa Pitarch, president of the Catalan Women’s Institute, and Professor Tània Verges from the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.

 

During his intervention, President Puigdemont affirmed that Catalonia “has the opportunity to build a new country where gender equality stands as one of the main pillars of our society”. Furthermore, Puigdemont also made special reference to some of the legal successes in the country, including Law 17/2015 approved last year by the Catalan parliament, ensuring “effective equality among men and women”, Law 5/2008 on the right of women to have gender violence eradicated from society and, lastly, the pioneering Law 11/2014, which guarantees LGBT rights across the territory.

 

Additionally, Carles Puigdemont noted that the Government of Catalonia is currently developing the 2012-2015 Strategic Plan on Women’s Policies and has placed the plan’s competences within the scope of the Presidency department. According to the President, this would ensure “the drive it deserves” as well as a “transversal approach” to the issue of gender equality.

 

Carles Puigdemont also referred to the issue of job security among women as well as the question of gender pay gap between the sexes in Spain. According to the President, these give rise to a clear “feminization of poverty which we cannot accept and must fight”, in order to ensure gender parity in all societies.

 

International Women's Day is celebrated in Catalonia and around the world to recognize women for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.

 

International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.

 

Since then, International Women's Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women's movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women's conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women's rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.

 

 

- Catalonia's continued effort to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights