The acting Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, presided over Friday the National Police for Equality gala, held at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid, where he claimed "to break down many barriers set by custom, laziness and prejudice "in order to achieve" real equality of opportunities ".
At the gala, which commemorated the 40th anniversary of the incorporation of women into the police, Grande-Marlaska said that "equality is the cornerstone of any system that aspires to be fair, any regime of rights and freedoms that claim to be authentic, is the basis, in short, of the dignity of the human being. "
"If we want to achieve that goal, the words are not enough." Advances in equality require facts: to break down many barriers set by custom, laziness and prejudice, "said the minister, who was accompanied by the Secretary of State of Security, Ana Botella, and the general director of the Police, Francisco Pardo.
Grande-Marlaska has set as an example the first 42 women who agreed to the National Police 40 years ago, of whom she said that "they entered with courage, with the desire to contribute and serve the citizens. today, more than 9,000 women are traveling. "
The Minister has advocated for the State Security Forces to become an example to be followed for the rest of society not only by the role played by women within their ranks but also by carrying out an active defense of equality and women's rights.
A step forward
The Director General of the Police, Francisco Pardo, has stressed that "four decades ago the police said yes and took a step forward to keep pace with society by opening its doors to women."
Addressing the women of the National Police, Pardo said that they reflect "the image of that transformation of our society, no one can question your ability to do your job well, you represent the strength and drive that society needs in all areas , also in the Police. "
"The history of the Police for 40 years, together with their colleagues, is written every day by women who are determined to continue lighting the way for many others who, like you, want to put their talent and work at the service of the Spaniards to have a safer country and coexistence in peace, "said the general director.
Awards
The gala has had an awards ceremony, which have corresponded to Ana Botín, president of the Santander Group; Soledad Gallego, director of the newspaper El País; María Blasco, director of the National Center for Oncological Research; Cristina Forner, president of Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres; and agents Fermín Trecejo and Laura Palacio.
Fermín Trecejo is a chief inspector of the National Police assigned to the Superior Headquarters of Asturias who, in addition to exemplaryly developing his responsibilities in terms of equality, is the author of the recommendations on inclusive language of the National Police.
Laura Palacio is a national police station in Santa Cruz de Tenerife that combines her police work, in which she gives talks on safety to minors and other groups, with the practice of karate, a sport in which she has been champion of Europe.
During the event, the "Pioneras" awards and the "María José García Sánchez" award were also presented. The first acknowledgments were given to the curator Elisa Fariñas, the first woman to reach the category of commissary having passed through all the lower categories; Patricia Ortega, first woman to enter the army and first to reach the position of lieutenant colonel; Cristina Moreno, first civil guard to get to the job of lieutenant colonel; and María Reyes Díaz, first police officer who accessed TEDAX, in 1990.
The prize "María José García Sánchez" owes its name to one of the members of the first class of inspectors who joined the National Police in 1979. She stood out for her vocation of service and was killed by the terrorist group ETA.
This prize recognizes that special vocation and has fallen, in its first edition, on María José García Sánchez herself, posthumously, and on Pilar Allué Blasco, current deputy general director of Human Resources and Training of the National Police.
In his almost forty years of service, Allué has been making way for the rest of the women in the National Police. She has been the first woman in many areas: to ascend to the category of commissary, to be appointed superior, to be in charge of a General Commissariat, to be part of the Governing Board of the General Directorate of the Police and to be designated deputy general manager.
During the gala, several commemorative videos were screened, different pieces of music were performed and a message was delivered by the singer Rozalén, an artist committed to the role of women in society.