Spain will not protect abortion as a right in the Constitution as France did a few days ago and it will not do so because a consensus is needed that does not currently exist in Parliament. This was indicated by the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, this morning, after recognizing that the PSOE would like it this way (it proposed it in 2013), but “the Constitution is very demanding when it comes to modifying fundamental rights and requires conditions that They don’t happen right now,” explained the minister, also PSOE Secretary of Equality.
Redondo refers specifically to the presence of Vox, a party that denies gender equality, he indicated, and which is currently present both in the Spanish Parliament and in the governments of eleven autonomous communities (with the PP) and in numerous city councils. . “Modifying the Constitution is an intense and extensive process that requires enormous consensus. And that, now, is not happening,” Redondo reiterated.
A few hours after knowing Redondo’s position, the Sumar coalition partners have made public their intention to promote the inclusion of the right to free interruption of pregnancy in the Constitution.
Returning to the minister, she stressed that what Spain must do is guarantee that the current abortion law guarantees that women who decide to terminate their pregnancy can do so in the nearest public health centers, something that does not happen at this time. The goal of Equality regarding abortion in this legislature is to enforce the law.
France made history last Monday by becoming the first country in the world to grant constitutional status to women’s right to have an abortion. In a rare moment of unity between the parties, of true political transversality, the two chambers of Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority – 780 votes in favor, 72 against and 50 abstentions – to amend the Constitution to protect the right to voluntarily terminate pregnancy.
Redondo made these statements during the presentation of his ministry’s campaign for this 8M, which under the slogan ‘Move’, urges men and women to take to the streets to continue working to make gender equality a reality.
The campaign refers to the data from the latest work of the CIS on the opinion of citizens regarding gender equality and which revealed that 44.1% of men and 32.5% of women believe that equality has arrived too far, so much so that it discriminates against men. Playing with the letter M, the campaign (“modest” on an economic level, the minister clarifies) tries to dismantle this statement, highlighting the work that still needs to be done. Because in many areas the equality gap is still latent.
The minister has emphasized that this is a “positive” campaign that does not leave anyone out and that tries to promote social change by counting on “everyone.” Because without everyone, men and women, that equality will be difficult to achieve.
Redondo, who has avoided explaining what measures the extraordinary Council of Ministers that will be held next 8M will adopt, has announced that he will attend the demonstration that the 8M Commission has organized in Madrid, “as the PSOE has always done.” That day, as has been the case for years, two demonstrations will be held in Madrid, one called by the aforementioned commission and the other by the traditional feminist movement, which broke away from the historical organizers of the 8M due to the deep differences they maintained (and continue to maintain). with the previous Equality team, with Irene Montero at the head, on account of the trans law.
