Equality meets with UN Women after the agency's interest in protection measures for victims of male violence in the context of COVID-19


The Ministry of Equality, after the approval of Royal Decree 463/2020, of March 14, declaring the state of alarm for the management of the situation of the health crisis caused by COVID-19, launched a Plan for Contingency against gender violence in this emergency situation. The Contingency Plan developed a series of strategic and operational measures to help prevent, control and minimize the possible negative consequences in the lives of many victims of gender violence as a result of the containment measures.

As part of the contingency plan, reinforced with the approval of the RDL, all comprehensive assistance services for victims of violence against women were declared an essential service. In this way, both the telephone number of 016 and online consultations have continued to function normally 24 hours a day, every day of the week. 016 was also joined for the first time by a chat service through instant messaging with psychologists who are experts in gender violence for emotional and psychological support.

Requests for help from assistance services for victims of gender-based violence, which include online calls and consultations to 016 and the WhatsApp service, have risen to 18,700 from the start of confinement. All this represents an increase of 61.56%, having registered 7,125 more requests compared to the previous year. In the same period of 2019, from March 14 to May 15, the women attended were 11,575.

Regarding these new data, the Delegate of the Government Against Gender Violence, Victoria Rosell, has stated that "the increase in calls and inquiries relevant to 016 continues to be very striking." The decrease in the comparison between the first half of April and May "is so slight that it continues to confirm the need for these essential services."

For Rosell it is possible that this small decrease occurs "because since May 11 many women in phase 1 have some relief." Despite this, the Delegate warns that "this not only does not have to lead us to relax the demands", but also imposes "planning the next phase of de-escalation or departure", which involves not only the social care services comprehensive to victims of gender violence, "but also guarantee their safe access to justice, and the duty to detect cases that are not reported through health, social services and citizen collaboration."

Calls 016

If we compare the two months of alarm status, from March 14 to May 15, 2020, with the period from March 14 to May 15, 2019, we see an increase of 43.8% in calls to 016. While that the number of relevant calls from March 14 to May 15, 2019 was 11,485, from March 14 to May 15, 2020 it has been 16,518, a difference of 5,033.

If we compare calls to 016 from May 1 to 15, 2020 with those from May 1 to 15, 2019, we see an increase of 44.5%, which represents 1,242 more relevant calls in that period of 2020 compared to 2019 .

While the number of pertinent calls from May 1 to 15, 2019 was 2,791, from May 1 to 15, 2020, it was 4,033.

On the other hand, if we compare the first two fortnights of April and May 2020, we see a small decrease of 0.2%. The number of pertinent calls from April 1 to 15, 2020 was 4,042, while from May 1 to 15, 2020 it was 4,033, a slight difference of 9 calls.

Number of pertinent calls to 016

Online inquiries 016

Regarding online consultations, if we compare the two months of alarm status, from March 14 to May 15, 2020, with March 14 to May 15, 2019, the increase is 460%. While the number of consultations from March 14 to May 15, 2019 was 90, the number of consultations from March 14 to May 15, 2020 has been 504, that is, 414 more consultations.

We compared it the first fortnight of May 2020 with that of 2019 the increase has been 419%. While the number of consultations from May 1 to 15, 2019 was 21, from May 1 to 15, 2020 they have been 109, an increase of 88 consultations.

Number of online inquiries relevant to 016

Emotional and psychological care

Regarding the emotional and psychological care service via WhatsApp, since it was launched on March 21 it has received a total of 1,678 queries. If we compare the period from March 21 to April 15, 2020 with that from April 16 to May 15, 2020, the increase has been 29.5%. While the number of pertinent consultations from March 21 to April 15, 2020 was 731, from April 16 to May 15 it was 947, that is, an increase of 216 consultations between the April-May period compared to the March April.

The final data and its complete analysis will be published at the end of the month in the statistical bulletin of the Government Delegation against Gender Violence.

Number of Whatsapp inquiries



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