At plenary, Formentera signs on to pact to tackle gender violence

ple desembre 2016Council members gathered today to celebrate the administration's December plenary session. Across the board support was received by a proposal to adhere to the regional government's so-called “social pact” against gender violence. The Formentera Council committed to a series of actions, which social welfare councillor Vanessa Parellada described as “awareness-raising and mobilisation around the pact, developing and implementing a plan for equality in 2017 and establishing a protocol for response to gender violence at the local level”. In addition, the councillor promised a forthcoming working group would be tasked with prevention, improving training for people employed in the field, planning actions at schools and educational centres and supporting local women's groups that work to promote gender equality.

Job stability
Members of the plenary also unanimously backed a measure to make temporary employment contracts permanent. According to estimates, the proposed changes would provide job stability to some fifty workers. Councillor Parellada explained the measure would allow individuals to forego yearly or biannual contract renewals while they waited for the selective processes that would allow for professional advancement.

In the last plenary session of 2016 attendants backed a measure calling on the Palma ministry of education and university to both create a local professional music and dance conservatory and transfer authority over its management to the Formentera administration. Another proposal, to maintain the 50% Balearic Islands residents' discount on boat tickets irrespective of counter-fraud activity, was also adopted.