Harsh criticism was made by the mayor Evelyn Matthei, to denounce that the Providencia Women’s Center will not be able to provide more legal support to women in the commune after the end of an agreement with SernamEG. From the ruling party they said that she was lying.
A controversy confronts the mayoress of Providencia, Evelyn Matthewwith the Governmentafter announcing the end of the legal advice provided by the Women’s Center of their commune, for not having the support of the National Service for Women and Gender Equity (SernamEG).
In the middle of a press point, he denounced the end of an agreement that allowed the municipality legally represent women victims of domestic violence.
“What happened yesterday is absolutely unacceptable and inexplicable,” he said, requesting the intervention of the President Gabriel Boric, the Minister for Women, Antonia Orellana; and the national director of SernamEG, Priscilla Carrasco.
According to the mayor, as a result 140 women from the commune will be left without protection nor legal and free attention.
“Tell me if it’s because political reasons or what was the real reason for taking away this agreement… This government that declares itself feminist, in favor of women’s rights, leaves more than 1,000 women that we attend to every year without any kind of protection,” she added.
In this way, 140 women will be left without protection or legal attention.
I ask humbly, but forcefully, for the #women, that President Boric and the minister of Sernameg, Antonia Orellana, put aside the untidiness. (23)— Evelyn Matthei (@evelynmatthei) February 2, 2023
SernamEG defends itself and Matthei rebuts arguments
Through a statement, SernamEG explained on Twitter that it was the community chief herself who in April 2022 he resigned from the execution of the program care, protection and repair of the body, “and proceeded to establish the return of the funds provided.”
Along with this, he indicated that both the municipality and the service signed a technical transfer contract that compromised the advice and supervision of a SernamEG professional, which ended on December 31, 2022.
“This agreement sought to allow a gradual transition from legal and psychological counseling that the municipality would now assume, in relation to the care that the women of the commune would receive at the Women’s Center of Providencia”, they pointed out.
Finally, it was said that “no woman will be left without attention for the term of this agreement.
???? Regarding the statements of the mayoress of Providencia, we communicate the following: pic.twitter.com/IPDKm4SFg5
— SernamEG Chile (@SernamEGChile) February 2, 2023
Given this, Matthei wrote on Twitter again to say that said statement contains false assertions.
For example, he explained that as a municipality they received $200 million to pay the salaries of professionals from the Women’s Center, but in 2022 they gave it up to allocate it to communities most in need. However, that did not mean running out of the support of SernamEG.
“We have a great team, which without the agreement with SernamEG it can no longer act, can no longer represent women who are being beaten in court… That’s what it’s all about. It is absolutely false that an agreement was signed until December to make a transition, ”she continued.
“I hope it’s just a misunderstanding… The information that the Ministry of Women released is totally falsenothing that comes out there really obeys reality, “he added.
In the face of some doubts and questions, I want to tell you about some important points of our work in aid of more than a thousand women victims of #VIF. What happened today is unfortunate and we hope that it will be resolved as soon as possible, and that it is just a sad confusion. pic.twitter.com/fPhsKZZ2Ji
— Evelyn Matthei (@evelynmatthei) February 2, 2023
Officialism accuses Matthei of lying
After Matthei’s tweets about this situation, the pro-government deputies Emilia Schneider y Gonzalo Winter They accused the mayoress of lying.
Schneider wrote that “this is FALSE mayor and it is YOUR responsibility. You ended the agreement last year with @SernamEGChile for #CentroDeLaMujer, saying that he would open one from @Muni_provi and did not take advantage of the SERNAMEG technical advisory agreement. Lying shows little concern for women!”
In this regard, Matthei replied that “it is one thing to release resources and let them go to other communes that need them more. We assume the cost with municipal budget. Another very different thing is that take away our faculties and leave women victims of #VIF adrift. Instead of criticizing, they should help women.”
It is one thing to release resources and let them go to other communes that need them more. We assume the cost with municipal budget. Another very different thing is that they take away our faculties and leave women victims of #VIF Instead of criticizing they should help women https://t.co/Coo4xduZzE
— Evelyn Matthei (@evelynmatthei) February 2, 2023
For her part, Winter tweeted that “@evelynmatthei is lying when she says that @MinMujeryEG would have removed the Women’s Center in Providencia. It was she who decided not to renew the contract with SernamEG. There are ways and ways to campaign, and the lie is one we shouldn’t get used to.”