A great day for women

Wednesday 13 was a great day for women in the Balearic Islands as parliament approved its new Equality Between Women and Men Law, which aims to ensure resources are available to guarantee equal opportunities in all areas and put an end to gender discrimination.

The law, which was approved with great consensus from parliamentary members, was passed to the sound of applause as members got to their feet to celebrate this triumph for women.

With 88 articles under six titles, it aims to make sure women are able to stand up and defend themselves without fear of discrimination and also allows for more support for victims of any type of violence from the opposite sex. 

In fact, one of the new additions is a clause which will consider failure to pay maintenance as financial violence and a way for men to continue keeping their former partners under their control.

Mes per Mallorca delegate Margalida Capella announced: “today is a happy day, without real equality there will never be social progress. More equality means less unfair privileges for men,” while PP opposition delegate Sandra Fernandez stated: “this is a much debated and consensual law which will last in time.”

Socialist parliament member Silvia Cano classed it as a much-needed, ambitious law which will hopefully help put an end to a social emergency in the Balearics, which has seen three women murdered and one seriously burned by their partners so far this year.