Marches against gender violence in Spain

THOUSANDS protested across Spain on Sunday to mark international day for the elimination of violence against women.
Armed with banners and slogans, demonstrators took to the streets in Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Sevilla, Valencia, and Bilbao, and Murcia to take a united stance against sexism and related crimes in Spain.
Speaking to Spanish press during a rally in Madrid, a spokeswoman for Mujeres CCOO, said ‘we are here for all of those women who have been murdered, in Madrid and in Spain. We are taking it very personally’.
According to government statistics, 972 women have been killed by their partners or ex-partners in Spain since 2003, 44 of those this year 2018.
Violence against women has been a key political issue in Spain since 2004 when new laws were introduced relating to the crime.
In a Twitter post before the rallies, Mujeres CCOO said: “We demand compliance with the state pact against violence against women and girls in each and every one of its measures, so that legal and institutional guardianship is effective
“We must end this scourge, we call for effective policies against violence against women and non-discrimination in all social areas.”
Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, responded to the national protest by re-affirming his government’s ‘commitment’ to eradicate violence against women and a ‘culture of sexism’.