Spain: Widows march for their pensions

They are organized through the many widows associations and they are united and strong. As of the first week in November they also speak out with a single voice from Sant Jaume Square in Barcelona as well as many other Spanish cities to remind the Government of its promise to increase their pensions. They are the thousands of Spanish widows whose pensions have been blocked at 450 euros a month or less.

“As long as we are able to, we will go down the streets every month to contest the Government and to remind them that we are still alive and we have the right to live in a dignified way, like every citizen” said Pilar Mora, president of the Catalan “Asociaciòn Ciudadana pels Drets de les Dones” (citizen association for women’s rights), the association that organized the demonstration in Barcelona.

What about the men?

There are not many men at the demonstrations, but there are some. Like the Aguilàr brothers, who are there to defend the future of their wives: “I came to accompany my wife. We are here because we know that there are many more widows than widowers” explained Benito Aguilar.

“I support this movement because many pensioners simply can’t make it to the end of the month without borrowing money. Many widows have to beg for money to pay their water and gas bills even though their husbands worked their whole lives, paying into the pension scheme for more than 50 years,” added Benito.

The movement’s “pillar”

She was born in 1923 in Barcelona and is now one of the most representative women in the battle for women rights. Her name is Pilar Mora i Rosellò and has deserved Catalonia’s most honorable prize for her social work, the Cruz de Sant Jordi.

Founder of the Catalan citizen association for women’s rights in 2000, she has gained more than 760, 000 signatures across Spain in order to put forward a bill to the congress and to ask for improvements for widow’s pensions.

What did you achieve after all this time?

We achieved about the 40% of increasing for widow’s pension, and thanks to our battle we reached a little growth every year to finally achieve the 52%.

Did you meet any politicians?

Yes I did, but I never trusted what they said..

What is your message to the people?

I ask women, widows or not, to help us and come to Sant Jaume Square, in Barcelona, at 11 a.m. I’d like them to join our cause with their voices and hearts.

Every month down the streets of Barcelona, we will hear the voice of the pensioners who don’t have a dignified pension. And we hope that the demonstration will spread even in other cities.

As an activist of our association says: “we will be like the Malaya drop which finally makes holes in the rock”

Find out more: www.dones-vidues.org

 

Source: Canal Solidario

Translation by: Rassmea Salah