The Government of Spain approves measures to make further progress on Equality

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Council of Ministers approved an institutional statement on International Women's Day in which, for yet another year, it reaffirms its commitment to the fight for real and effective equality between men and women.

The Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, stressed that the text begins by expressing the Government's dismay at the armed conflicts in the world, especially in Gaza and Ukraine, which are causing victims among women and girls who are also re-victimised because they are suffering sexual abuse and all kinds of violence.

According to the minister, the declaration also includes Spain's progress on equality: "We are, according to the European equality index, the fourth country in terms of policy recognition [in this area] and I think it is important to emphasise this, because it means that we have done things well, that our society has made progress over the last 20 or 30 years".

Redondo added that the document recognises that further progress is needed to tackle problems such as sex-based violence, closing gaps in terms of work-life balance and breaking glass ceilings. To this end, the Executive has today taken a number of initiatives.

Future Trafficking Law

The Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, during her speech at the press conference after the Council of Ministers | Pool Moncloa/José Manuel Álvarez

The Government has resubmitted the Draft Bill of the Comprehensive Organic Law to Combat Trafficking and the Exploitation of Human Beings after its processing was halted in the previous legislature due to the election.

The Minister for Equality highlighted the cross-cutting nature of the law, which incorporates measures from all ministries, and that it is a "law focused on prevention, awareness and protection of victims".

Redondo stressed that the future law aims to act against all forms of trafficking, such as labour trafficking, sexual trafficking, arranged marriages and organ trafficking. It also provides for victims in an irregular situation in Spain to be granted a provisional residence and work permit until their definitive status as a victim of trafficking is certified. "Many times it is difficult to denounce because of fear and, therefore, it is necessary to protect and accompany at all times", the minister argued.

Victims are also guaranteed that they will not be expelled from the country and that they will be able to access the rights and assistance provided by law. Ana Redondo specified that they have the right to receive the Minimum Basic Income, to be a priority group for access to public housing, to legal assistance and to receive compensation from the assets confiscated from mafias and trafficking groups. The minister stressed that these rights are recognised without the need to file a complaint.

Protocol against harassment in the General State Administration

The Government has also approved a protocol for action against sexual harassment and sex-based harassment in the General State Administration (AGE) and its public bodies. The protocol includes an obligation for public employees to report cases of possible sexual or sex-based harassment, for which a simple and confidential mechanism is established.

The minister pointed out that trainees and employees of auxiliary companies working for the AGE will now be able to access this protocol. In addition, an exhaustive list of behaviours that could be considered harassment will be drawn up.

Financial assistance to victims of sexual violence

Ana Redondo explained that, in order to advance in the development of the Organic Law for the Comprehensive Guarantee of Sexual Freedom, the Council of Ministers has regulated the granting of financial aid to victims of sexual violence with incomes below the Minimum Wage. They will receive six months' unemployment benefit, which can be paid as a lump sum or in six consecutive months.

The minister recalled that this measure was already applied to women victims of sex-based violence and, with today's decision, it has been extended to women victims of sexual violence.

Changes to VioGén to extend victim protection

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, during his speech at the press conference after the Council of Ministers | Pool Moncloa/José Manuel Álvarez

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has announced the updating of the criteria for the deactivation of open cases in the VioGén System with the aim of prolonging the protection received by victims of sex-based violence.

"With these changes we manage to extend this protection over time and prevent women from suffering premature defencelessness in those cases in which a situation of latent risk may arise", explained the minister, who referred to VioGén as a system that is "a benchmark at international level" in the fight against sex-based violence.

As Grande-Marlaska explained, from now on, those cases in which police experts have not assessed any risk for the woman, or the risk is low, can only be deactivated in VioGén when there are no judicial protection measures in force and the specialised agents consider that there are no circumstances that make it advisable to do otherwise.

In addition, to ascertain the absence of risk, they must meet the victim at least once in person. On the other hand, cases in which the risk has been assessed as medium, high or extreme can only be deactivated if circumstances such as the death, imprisonment or departure abroad of the aggressor occur.

In addition to limiting the criteria for the deactivation of cases in the VioGén system, Instruction 2/2024 creates a new modality called "supervised deactivation" which will be applied in highly complex cases, due to their special relevance, because they affect minors at risk, or also in those cases that in recent months have been assessed as medium, high or extreme risk or in which two or more reports have been registered since their opening.

Increased social security protection for victims of sex-based violence

The Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, during her speech at the press conference after the Council of Ministers | Pool Moncloa/José Manuel Álvarez

The Extraordinary Council of Ministers also adopted initiatives at the proposal of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. "I like to speak of this Ministry as the ministry of the people and, insofar as we make up fifty per cent of the population of this country, it is absolutely necessary that gender policies, equality policies, are cross-cutting in all the actions of my portfolio," said the head of the department, Elma Saiz.

Firstly, the minister stressed that Social Security will promote greater protection in situations of temporary incapacity caused by sex-based violence. These cases will be treated as occupational contingencies for economic purposes. Elma Saiz explained that, "instead of being considered common contingencies, such as the flu or a simple cold, these situations will be assimilated to sick leave due to accidents at work for Social Security purposes". This change means an improvement in the benefit because the victims will receive 75 per cent of the regulatory base from the first day of sick leave at the Administration's expense and, in addition, no waiting period will be required.

The minister mentioned two other issues promoted by her department at today's Cabinet meeting: the commitment of the public authorities to prosecute exploitative practices against migrant women and the relaxation of the requirements for victims of trafficking violence to access the Minimum Basic Income.

Improvements in employment and pensions

Elma Saiz has reviewed the effects of the Executive's egalitarian policies in various fields, "which show a firm commitment that is not limited to one day, but defines a project for a country", although there is still "a long way to go to achieve real and effective equality".

On the employment front, February saw an all-time high of 9.8 million women in work, and female employment has grown by 11.8 per cent since 2019. The minister highlighted that this growth is accompanied by quality: in February, women signed more permanent contracts than men; there are 1.6 million more permanent contracts than in 2019, and the contribution bases have since grown 2.8 points above those of men. "There are also many more foreign contributors who are helping us to help this country, 25 per cent more than before the pandemic," said Saiz.

In relation to pensions, the minister pointed out that, thanks to the annual revaluation and the gender gap supplement, the pensions received by women have grown by 5 per cent above men's pensions since 2019. Elma Saiz also highlighted the benefits of the Minimum Basic Income - 66 per cent of the beneficiaries are women - and the creation of a protocol for action in the humanitarian care system for victims of sex-based violence, trafficking and sexual exploitation, which in the last year managed almost 20,000 women and girls.

Equality, an achievable goal

The Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, during her speech at the press conference after the Council of Ministers | Pool Moncloa/José Manuel Álvarez

At the start of the press conference following the Council of Ministers, the Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, congratulated "all those who work every day to ensure that equality between men and women advances and becomes an achievable goal". She also thanked the struggle of women who in past generations only encountered difficulties and barriers and who, in spite of this, "were able to break down walls so that today other generations of women can continue to take firm steps towards the path of equality".

During her speech, the spokesperson recalled that the situation of women has improved in recent years thanks to the 54% increase in the Minimum Wage, the extension of paternity and maternity leave to promote work-life balance and the creation of child education places for children from zero to three years of age.

She also referred to the increase in pensions, which has improved the living conditions of more than 4.5 million women, and the promotion of the Parity Law.

Non official translation