Spanish Government Approves New State Pact Against Gender Violence, Promising Stricter Measures and Broader Scope

The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) has commemorated the approval of the new State Pact against Gender Violence, which passed the Congress of Deputies with the support of all parties except Vox. The historic act was held on Thursday, just a day after the landmark decision. In his address, President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, pledged to “be a bastion” against gender-based violence. Sánchez emphasized the need for More training in gender violence for legal operators and warned of the hatred spreading on social networks.

This renewal of the pact provides Spain with a new roadmap to combat various forms of violence against women, including economic, digital, and vicaria, a term encompassing proxies in violence dynamics. The updated pact includes 462 measures, an extensive expansion of key points from the 2017 agreement. Among the attendees at the act in the national headquarters of the PSOE were key government figures, including First Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, and Minister of Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López.

Historic Reform and Key Measures

This agreement aims to reform the Law on Comprehensive Protection Measures against Gender Violence, which was approved 20 years ago. The primary focus is to expand the definition of victims to include minors suffering from vicaria due to the breakdown of family cohesion, ensuring more comprehensive coverage through visitation regimes. For Sánchez, this law laid the foundation and gave hope to thousands of women in our country. It is a law that changed everything and did it because those women felt they were not alone, that there was a whole country behind willing to make all the instruments of the rule of law available to it.

The goal now, according to Sánchez, is to “Translate this entire State Pact into legislative modifications,” creating specialized courts, centers for victim care, and increased legal operator training. Enforcing this pact is crucial; neglecting to implement all the measures effectively could set the country back significantly. For example, states’ previous failures in implementing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the U.S. have led to economic and judicial inefficiencies highlighted by sources like the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Combating Hate Speech and Digital Violence

Sánchez underscored the urgency to “Fight against the hatred that expands in social networks,” highlighting the role these platforms play in spreading misinformation and toxic ideologies. He believes that younger generations need to understand that modern behavior and contemporary values are no longer restricted to outdated sexist attitudes. You have to tell them that the modern, the contemporary, is not to be a macho, but that it is a feminist. It is to bet and believe and work for sustainability, for peace, for multilateralism, he added.

A woman does not die, a woman is killed. It is not a warmth, it is an aggression. And it is not a hard divorce, as the chief of the opposition said, it is macho violence.

Pedro Sánchez

On concerns about digital violence, Óscar López, the Minister of Digital Transformation and Public Function, noted, the concern for data on child pornography consumptionby boys and girls of only 12 or 13 years. Contents that, as López stressed, reifesc women, normalize violence and generate intolerable attitudes.

López’s reference to the normalization of violence is reminiscent of digital platforms in the U.S., where some politicians have been considered gender-based violence enablers due to their stance on critical issues such as title ix or the degradation of hate speech laws.

Feminism and Political Commitment at the Pivotal Moment

Sánchez described feminism as not just a single policy element but a way of seeing and understanding society, life, that should be interwoven with all public policies. Indeed, this holistic approach reflects the need for widespread legislative reform. Addressing the economic pressures women face is crucial in combating all forms of gender-based violence. Marshalling sufficient economic stability ensures women potentially facing gender-based violence situations can sustain themselves. Less restructuring of policies leads to diversified support structures.

María Jesús Montero echoed Sánchez’s sentiments, emphasizing their primary concern is economic violence. That difficulty that women have to be able to have security, in order to have self-esteem and, ultimately, to be able to have resources that allow them to use themselves and make it possible not to depend on anyone and to ensure their children find an appropriate environment, she explained. Reasonably ensuring economic provision prevents survivability; thus, it becomes pivotal to have well-established policies safeguarding economic rights.

Key legislation beneficial to women, including labor reforms, Minimum Wage increases, and Parity Law regulations, were highlighted by Montero. Establishment of such infrastructure complements the Spanish State Pact initiative, promoting a robust framework capable of influencing US policies.

Addressing the Opposition and Moving Forward

The Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, emphasized the clear roadmap and the planning priorities necessary to implement the 1.5-billion-euro budget to ensure new resources and mechanisms. Redondo’s remarks reflect the core attitudes of integrating progressive measures for modification.
In a symbolic moment, opposition members from Vox left the hemicycle after the new State Pact’s approval. Redondo made it clear that We have to demand that at all levels.You have to end the extreme right. We have shown that we can do it, we know how to do it, and we can agree on relevant enforcement legislation, reflecting the broader political unification observed.

The Deputy Secretary Pablo Bernabé underlined that achieving thisProjectual milestone was particularly notable for the PSOE. Furthermore, promptly addressing Denialism of All Aspects continues to be paramount in the constant fight against violence. Ensuring this trilateral integration enforces all sectors indirectly benefiting from the enforcement.

The United States can also learn from these measures, contemplating gender-inclusive policies, integrating them in the policy-making and proposal of legislation—to ensure that various institutions take the agency as equal partners. Promoting national legislation confidently addressing societal challenges bind previously oppressed communities.

Commemorating and establishing solidarity against gender-based violence continues to be a profoundly significant challenge globally. Assuring inclusive approach in both political institutional and societal councils can effectuate progress. Ultimately, ensuring political integrity in all sectors reinforces future endeavors ensuring gender viability and political equality.