With International Women’s Day coming up on March 8, Spain has approved a new State Pact against Gender-Based Violence, introducing 462 measures aimed at tackling various forms of violence against women. The updated pact, which replaces the 2017 agreement, has been developed over the past year with input from political parties, except Vox, and comes with a budget increase of 50%, reaching 1.5 billion euros over five years.

The plan goes beyond domestic violence, tackling newer threats like digital abuse, economic control, and coercive child abuse, where children are harmed to punish or manipulate their mothers.

Protecting Children from Coercive Child Abuse

One of the major focuses of the new pact is the protection of children affected by gender-based violence. Nearly 50 measures aim to strengthen legal protections, improve coordination between institutions, and make sure professionals working with children receive specialized training. The pact also proposes changes to Spain’s 2005 gender violence law to formally recognize children of abused women as direct victims of violence.

Addressing Economic Abuse

Economic violence, often overlooked, is now officially recognized as a form of gender-based violence. The pact proposes legal reforms to criminalize actions that limit women’s financial independence, including the withholding of child support payments, fraudulent asset transfers, and workplace sabotage, where an abuser prevents a woman from getting or keeping a job. Measures also include updating child support payments regularly and improving social security protections for victims.

Combating Digital Violence

With online abuse on the rise, the pact includes measures to prevent digital violence against women. This includes strengthening cybercrime investigation teams, improving online safety education, and enforcing stricter controls on access to pornography for minors.

The agreement also calls for penalties for the use of AI-generated deepfake images and expanded legal protections against online harassment, including restraining orders that apply to social media and digital platforms.

New Law Against Human Trafficking

The pact calls on the government to pass long-overdue laws against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The proposed law would offer better support for victims, give law enforcement more power to crack down on traffickers, and reduce demand for prostitution through awareness campaigns targeted at young people. Additionally, new regulations would ban all forms of prostitution advertising and impose stricter penalties on traffickers and exploiters.

A Stronger Commitment to Ending Gender-Based Violence

With this updated pact, Spain is strengthening its fight against gender-based violence in all its forms. The plan expands legal protections, improves financial and digital safety, and responds to new tactics used by abusers. However, its success will depend on how well these measures are put into action in the coming years.

International Women’s Day in Spain

International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, is a major event in Spain, marked by marches, rallies, and events advocating for women’s rights. Many cities see large demonstrations calling for gender equality and stronger protections against violence. The day is also a time for reflection, as activists highlight ongoing challenges and push for further progress in achieving gender justice.