The Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, during her speech at the event held at the Spanish Embassy in London
The Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, took part in the event organised by the Spanish Embassy in London to mark International Women's Day. "Our message is clear: Spanish women, inside and outside Spain, must have the same protection; they are not alone. Our embassies and consulates are Purple Points, as are our social security offices. The protection of women victims of violence is an absolute priority, at home and abroad".
In her speech at the Embassy, Elma Saiz also recalled the main gender equality policies implemented by the ministry, such as the equalisation of birth leave for mothers and fathers at 16 weeks. "According to the latest available analyses, Spain is the first EU country where men and women de facto can have leave for an equivalent amount of time, and there has been an increase in the average number of days used by men," she specified.
She went on to say that "we know that progress cannot be isolated. Equality is a global task, which is why we are working with our European and international partners to build more equitable societies. In this struggle for equality, it is essential to recognise that not all women start from the same starting line, as happens with migrant women. Their double vulnerability makes them a priority target for our policies".
Saiz recalled how the protection of these women has been strengthened through specific policies, such as the facilitated access to the Minimum Basic Income for victims of trafficking and exploitation, the fight against labour exploitation and the improvement of humanitarian care protocols on arrival.
"Equality must be a reality for all women, without exception. And to achieve this, we must ensure that no woman is left behind because of her origin, her administrative situation or her social background," said Saiz. "In Spain, we have taken a further step forward with the creation of the Gender Gap Advisory Council, a working space that brings together experts in different fields to analyse and propose measures to reduce inequalities between women and men in the labour and economic spheres".
Return Plan
At his meeting with Spanish citizens in London, Saiz presented the first works of the Return Plan, which is currently being drawn up. Around 190,000 Spaniards currently live in the UK, according to the INE's Register of Spaniards Resident Abroad (Padrón de Españoles Residentes en el Extranjero).
"We want you to come back. The situation of the Spanish labour market is very different to what it was like when you left it. It is more attractive, more innovative, and it offers greater guarantees of stability", Saiz told a group of Spaniards living in London.
The main objectives of the Return Plan are to promote the labour integration of Spanish returnees both as employees and as self-employed workers if they wish to set up a business. The aim is also to facilitate the return of families abroad, for example by enrolling their children in primary and secondary schools, as well as in the university system.
The plan will pay special attention to the return of researchers, encouraging their incorporation into the different knowledge centres, companies and institutions working in the field of R&D&I.
Another aim is to guarantee access to information, the processing and monitoring of state aid and economic benefits for which returned emigrants are eligible, with special attention to Spanish people abroad who wish to return, or have returned, and are in a situation of vulnerability or social exclusion.
Among other measures, it is envisaged to strengthen the Spanish Return Office with a one-stop service with personalised advice and in-person and online follow-up. A system of aid is also being studied for returnees in emergency situations, as is a system of benefits for all vulnerable returnees until they are in a position to access the Minimum Basic Income.
Work is also under way on specialised programmes for returnees from armed conflicts in collaboration with NGOs, and on a programme for victims of gender violence repatriated from different countries in application of the inter-ministerial protocol aimed at protecting Spanish women and children who live abroad and wish to return to Spain.
Non official translation