Feminist movement calls for demonstrations against 'gender-based violence and its denial' in Malaga today

The feminist organisation Plataforma Contra las Violencias Machistas 'Violencia Cero' has called a demonstration at 7.30pm this Tuesday, 25 November, which will start from Plaza de la Merced in Malaga. The protest marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and focuses not only on the existence of gender-based violence but also on denouncing the denial that this category of crimes is proliferating.

Specifically, the organising groups will denounce "the lack of firm, meaningful public policies, including the new state pact against gender-based violence, the rise in all forms of gender-based violence and the denialist rhetoric". "The figures of violence against women are intolerable in a democracy, as is the normalisation of the structural violence that we suffer daily just for being women," the demonstration manifesto reads.

The protest takes place just three days after the latest victim of gender-based violence - 60-year-old María Victoria - died of the stab wounds inflicted on by her ex-husband. The incident happened in Rincón de la Victoria, in Malaga, on Saturday, 22 November. The assailant is in pre-trial detention without bail, as ordered by the judge on Monday.

With María Victoria, there are now five women murdered by their partners or ex-partners so far this year in the province of Malaga and 39 in Spain as a whole. Since 2003, when official figures were first collected and published, 62 women have been killed in gender-violence crimes in Malaga province. In Spain as a whole, there have been 1,334 fatal cases. The victims are of all ages, but according to a study carried out by Comisiones Obreras, of the 62 women murdered in Malaga, the age group with the highest number of victims is 41-50, with 17 women, followed by women in their twenties, with 16 murdered.

According to the same study, Malaga represents 45% of all feminicides in Andalucía. Comisiones Obreras is one of the organisations calling on residents to join the demonstration on Tuesday. The PSOE party has also announced its attendance, with a delegation headed by provincial secretary Josele Aguilar and the party's equality secretary, Yolanda Florido.

The demonstration will commemorate Catalina Guillén Balbuena, 49, murdered in Benalmádena; Pilar Amaya, 50, in Marbella; Zunilda Hoyos, 43, in Fuengirola; Eva, 83, in Marbella; and María Victoria, 60. These are the names of the five women who have lost their lives to gender-based violence in Malaga province so far this year.

The demonstration will also denounce "the increase in sexual violence by men, especially young men, who are voracious consumers of pornography". The organising groups will reiterate the need for greater commitment from public authorities and call for "the disqualification of judges, prosecutors and other legal professionals who apply justice in a sexist manner", as well as "a thorough review of the VioGen system and transparent, effective management, justice and reparations for the women affected by the failure of the electronic-tag system".

Before the demonstration, there will be an official ceremony in the morning. For the first time, it takes place as a single, joint event, attended by the city council, as well as by provincial, regional and national authorities. From this year on, the event will be shared by representatives of all levels and political camps, who will gather together in Museo de Málaga to send a unified message condemning gender-based violence and supporting equality.