SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 20 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Council Member Idaira Afonso de Martín, co-spokesperson for Unidas se puede and municipal leader of the Special Equality Commission for social integration and against discrimination, has expressed that the statistics from the recent census of sculptures conducted by La Laguna City Council reveal a “distinct lack of women” and “serve as a stark example of the underrepresentation experienced by women.”
Idaira Afonso has pointed out that out of the sculptures situated in the streets of the municipality, “only 11 out of the 94 catalogued works (10.34% of the total) revolve around female themes, of which only 3 are dedicated to prominent figures who have made their mark on the culture and society of San Cristóbal de La Laguna: Laura de la Puerta, Olga Ramos and Ana Bautista”.
Afonso noted that this percentage “places us nearly five points below the national average, albeit better than Madrid or Barcelona, in terms of the ratio of sculptures dedicated to men compared to those dedicated to women.” He also emphasised that 18% of these sculptures were created during the progressive government in La Laguna.
Last March, the Laguna party presented a proposal that specifically tackled the presence of women in the space symbolising local authority, the plenary hall and its attachments, where only three women were represented, in contrast to 72 men.
Aligned with the municipality’s First and Second Equality Plan, advocating for the visibility of the role of women and the advancement of their participation and acknowledgment in various domains, “there is much work to be done, and our intention is to keep progressing.”
According to the council member, “contemplation on public areas is imperative; in the prior term, we propelled this initiative, through the scrutiny of the municipal street layout or the proposition for modifications to the pre-plenary chamber, sanctioned last March.” She affirmed that the endeavour to promote equality and the recognition of the women of La Laguna “should be a permanent item on the political agenda, a matter that we will undoubtedly incorporate in the new Commission approved unanimously by the plenary.”
