The Office of Equality of the Consell de Formentera, together with Wanawake Woman, an NGO, are organising various actions during the second week of May to promote gender equality on the island. The activities start Monday with workshops at CEIP Mestre Lluís Andreu, CEIP Sant Ferran de ses Roques, CEIP El Pilar, and IES Marc Ferrer, and culminate Sunday 14 May with a master class on meditative dance, which also benefits from the collaboration of Yoga Formentera. To round out the actions, there will be "Girls and Women's Status in the World: Realities and Challenges", a virtual exhibition, and the participation of a Wanawake activist who will advocate women's rights in the Half Marathon (13 May).

Ana Juan, president and equality councillor of the Consell de Formentera, said that "these varied actions have a common goal: to underscore the reality that girls and women in our world face; promote gender equality; highlight situations of inequality around the globe, and provide information on the varying forms of violence that are based on this inequality".

Master class on meditative dance
14 May, 10.00am to 11.00am, a free and open-to-all master class will take place in Plaça de la Constitució in Sant Francesc. Participants will learn a dance for the rights of girls and women survivors of female genital mutilation, child marriage and trafficking for exploitation. This meditative dance has a double objective: to offer and send energy and support to survivors and, above all, to raise awareness of these three little known forms of violence.

The class will be taught by Flor Mauguer (Yoga Formentera). There are fifty places, which will be awarded in order of registration. Signups end 12 May. The recommended age to participate is 16 and older. To see more details and register, click here: Wanawake meditative dance master class.

Also at the dance will be Monica Batán, activist, athlete and director of Wanawake Mujer, who will present the event along with a representative of the Office of Equality. Each attendee will also receive a Maua bracelet made by female beneficiaries of Wanawake Woman's support. Production of the bracelets serves as an alternative employment opportunity. "When someone wears this bracelet, she tells the story behind it, creates work and empowers women to decide about their lives and those of their daughters", explained the NGO.

2 May 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Earlier this year the Office of Equality of the Consell de Formentera awarded its first research grant for equality, valued at €8,000. Researchers Mònica Grau and Stella Mally won the grant with the project "The value of women's invisible work on 20th century Formentera" (El valor dels treballs invisibles de les dones a la Formentera del sigle XX). More recently the project was honoured as part of "La nit de les dones", an awards gala hosted by the Balearic Women's Institute to promote equality on the occasion of 8 March.

The researchers have already begun the search for information and oral accounts. In early April assorted group sessions and personal interviews were held with women on the island.

The focus groups comprised women volunteers from the island, differentiated by age group: under 45, between 45 and 60 and between 60 and 75. Sessions were also held with the three senior clubs of Formentera. The women of diverse ages contacted for interviews shared a large number of experiences and accounts of the living conditions and work of that time.

Ana Juan, president and equality councillor of the Consell de Formentera, praised, first of all, "the participation and collaboration of volunteers, associations and senior clubs in these working meetings, as well as the professionals working on this window into women's role in the twentieth century, which so crucial for the island". Juan stressed that scientific knowledge is a fundamental tool "to highlight the importance of women on Formentera, and helps us to achieve a more egalitarian society".

11 April 2023
Office Communication
Consell de Formentera

Ana Juan, president of the Consell de Formentera and equality councillor, and Dolores Fernández Tamargo, president of Espai Dones, have signed a collaboration agreement unlocking €4,000 to promote equality and prevent gender violence on the island in 2023. With this grant, the association Espai Dones pledges to promote and dynamise education around equality and social awareness.

30 March 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Today a mural crafted by artist Carolina Adán Caro on the occasion of International Women's Day, 8 March, was unveiled. The mural, painted on a wall of Marc Ferrer Secondary School, pays tribute to the women of Formentera who dedicated their lives to work in the countryside. Ana Juan and Alejandra Ferrer, president and vice president, respectively, of the Consell de Formentera; Mercedes Garrido, Balearic minister of the president's office, public function and equality, and Maria Duran, director of Ibdona, were present.

22 March 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera