In determining that the state of emergency for gender-based violence, in theory, would culminate on June 30, 2022, the idea was to “shake up the structure” with fixed goals that would force the government to take action diligently, held the Secretary of the Interior, Noelia García.
“One has to shake up the structure. This is not a lifetime emergency plan, it is not perpetual. This is created to cause a halt, to provoke an immediate reaction. If we put it in perpetuity we will not be effective, so we have to take on some aggressive challenges to truly achieve the execution that is being pursued, “Garcia said in an interview with Subway.
One of the most important tasks that will perform the Committee for the Prevention, Support, Rescue and Education of Gender Violence (PARE), García pointed out, will be precisely to establish the indicators that will allow the administration of Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia measure the impact of the executive order, as well as the areas to be adjusted on the fly.
The governor himself has indicated that, above all, he would like to see a reduction in the number of feminicides over the next 17 months, but acknowledged that the crisis covers many other factors that must also be analyzed in detail. .
“We have metrics, the Women’s Attorney’s Office has metrics, the police have metrics. What are really the numerical variables that need to be set, that act as an emergency social thermometer, that’s what we’re going to set. (The PARE Committee.) The first thing we have to challenge is whether the statistics are correct and whether we are carrying out the statistics with the correct methodology, “said the Secretary of the Interior.
“An executive order establishing an emergency of gender violence goes to the root of a social problem that we must address in ‘bold’, which we must address as a priority,” said Garcia, who previously acted as director of the Authority for the Convention District.
Garcia pointed out that during the three weeks that passed between the swearing in of the new government and the enactment of the executive order, in addition to holding discussions with groups driving and detractors of the declaration of emergency, it was possible to identify the agencies that suffer the most when it comes to addressing dynamics related to gender violence.
Specifically, the official abounded, it was detected that the chain of response to incidents of gender violence has too many loose links, which prevent proper handling of cases classified as domestic violence, which in 2019 exceeded 7,000, being women victims in 84% of them.
Garcia stressed that the so-called compliance officer, a figure appointed directly by Pierluisi, will have the important function of directly supervising the 10 agencies that, along with the Office of the Attorney General for Women, Make up the PARE Committee.
“Among the (areas) that certainly need special affection is training emergency response personnel. From the person picking up the phone, to the ambulance arriving on the scene, the police arriving, who dispatch and follow up on the complaint, this whole line of response must be on alert.Woman violence or gender violence is hidden.We must ensure that we have trained staff to identify these shy signals that a This is very important and sometimes we have failed in that, “said the Secretary of the Interior, who pointed out that this phase of response and support for victims deserves as much attention as the aspect of violence prevention. .
At a time when it is unknown how much budget will be needed to execute the provisions of the declaration of emergency, Garcia said many initiatives will not involve major disbursements
“One of the things that women who are representing institutions that protect, educate and help women have told us is that most of the emergencies that need to be done do not affect much budget. (For in the Education component, we already have social workers and we bring education to the police, to the whole emergency chain “, said García, who did point out that the cut of about $ 1 million suffered by the OPM will have to be reversed in your past budget.
A few days after the governor gave the directive that public agencies and corporations cancel the service contracts held by the lawyer Jerome Garffer, Against whom a cause for arrest was found for a case of gender violence, García was not categorical in asking him if the present administration would prohibit the awarding of contracts to people with indications of this type of conduct.
“Each agency has the discretion to identify whether the event, or its contractor, meets the ethical values that the agency wants to pursue. In this case, the governor himself requested the cancellation of the contracts.” said Garcia in reference to Garffer, who since 2009 has been singled out on at least four occasions for violent acts against women.
What will be the standard for dismissing contractors for a history of gender-based violence? He asked. Subway.
“Ethical facts must be limited. The government cannot pursue ephemeral values, we must be responsible with the message we preach … These analyzes must be profound. One cannot, because someone has made an allegation, “It cannot be a simple accusation. It is important that it be deepened and confronted with the evidence. (Garffer’s case) is already under judicial process,” Garcia said.