Santa Pola, Calp, Petrer, Crevillent and Almoradi. These are the only five municipalities in 26 provinces with a population of more than 20,000 to have female mayors in this post. While the protagonists admit that it is more difficult for women to step up and have greater difficulties reconciling with their families, they emphasize that capacity is more important than gender.
«We may still look small, but women have come a long way in politics and moreover, we have amply demonstrated our ability to lead”. This is how Loreto Serrano, the mayor of Santa Pola from the PP, renews his mandate by a simple majority. And to exemplify recent progress, when she first joined her municipality’s City Council in 1991, “I was the only woman. The rest were all men,” she emphasizes.
He explains that in his case, he has always had the support of the party, both at the local and provincial level, and has therefore not faced any hindrance at the organic level. “What is needed – emphasizing – is that women make decisions”. He admits that they may face some kind of difficulty at the level of family reconciliation, but fortunately something he deserves is losing relevance. “Young people are becoming increasingly aware of the need to distribute and share family responsibilities”To add that she later moved on to a second phase, “because I have an older daughter who already makes me a grandmother, so I take care of my grandchild and also my parents when I have time.”
However, Serrano points out that he is not in favor of introducing quotas to parties. In his words, “What matters is the capacity of people, regardless of whether they are men or women.. After a very complex task due to the pandemic, economic problems and storms, my administration has been valued, but I see it as a person struggling, not as a woman.
The thing is, the openings in the town halls coincided with the agreement between the PP and Vox for the Generalitat Government, and that gives a lot to talk about as a result of the rejection of the far right. To this we must add that this concept was replaced by the concept of domestic violence in the treaty. But the mayor of Santa Pola said, “I don’t care about the name. What needs to be done is to take action and fight against this serious problem.”
He totally agreed with Vox. Lourdes Aznar, new mayor of Crevillent from PP, to take back a municipality that was recently transferred to Compromís. However, it makes it clear that this issue is not among the subjects of discussion in the municipal contract. He also believes that “there will be no backtracking” at the regional level. PP is very clear about that,” he says.
His job was to come to the saint and kiss him as he managed to seize the command post in the first elections he was presented with. «Based on my experience as city treasurer, they suggested that I run for office in November. in different town halls,” he recalls. And he admits that, in his own words, they weren’t all with them at first, “because there was very little time left before the elections, and I also broke my fibula two or three months away. It was a setback.”
But things turned out well for her in the end, which shows that it’s the capacity of each that matters, not the gender, to her. “There are valid people on one side and the other. The important thing is to demonstrate validity to hold each position.and it’s like I’m giving the profile.”
Although he also admits that it is easier right now. “I – he explains – have been able to develop my professional career without any problems, but it is also true that my children are already 25 and 22 years old. Now I have more free time than they did when I was little and I needed to dwell on them more.».
One mayor who was struggling to reaffirm his position due to internal problems in his previous party, PP, which decided to bet on César Sánchez, the former mayor and former head of the City Council, was Ana Sala of Calp. , as a candidate. Now, after the election, Sala will continue as mayor as head of Somos Calpe, an independent party he founded, and thanks to a government deal with PSPV and Compromís.
Thus, he underlines that he did not experience any problems in his party until what happened in the weeks before the elections. “I never felt neglected because I was a woman,” she emphasizes. Although he admits that perception has changed as a result of his removal from the list. «I felt like Isabel Bonig who got shot after doing some commendable job.and also like Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who can react in a timely manner because she has an election call tool,” he recalls. So, right at that moment, he stresses that PP’s behavior towards him “seemed a bit macho to me”. I am sure this would not have happened if I had called Carlos, Juanfran or César ».
As a result, she acknowledges that women continue to be a minority in politics, something she doesn’t quite know what to attribute to it. «In Calpe, Of the eight candidates submitted for the election, only a woman presided over mine.. So obviously something is going on. Maybe politics continues to attract more men,” he dares to say.
And regarding the deal between PP and Vox to run the Generalitat, Sala thinks the debate over women’s policies answers a semantics issue. “My feeling is that nothing will change, because I am sure that if the deal was negative for women, they wouldn’t be able to last long in government» he claims.
Much more critical on this issue is the socialist Irene Navarro, the mayor of Petrer, who managed to regain its absolute majority in the municipality and opposes the terms of the agreement reached by the right-wing formations. “It’s unfortunate that we go back to conversations more than two decades ago, when we think that gender-based violence is denied and has already been overcome. We’re talking about what’s already known as the Pact of Shame because policies that harm women are not consented to, and rights that are hard to take back later are put at risk.
Regarding his personal experience as a politician and mayor, Navarro notes that everything was easy from the start at a party that was “the first to implement zip lists to fully support women’s inclusion in institutions.” However, she admits there is still a long way to go. “Maybe,” she says, There can always be an excessive amount of responsibility on women, as well as their ability to reconcile family life.taking into account that political activity requires 100% dedication.
And she gives her case as an example, as she is a nine-year-old mother of two twins. As he recalls, “they were born a councilor in the opposition, and I had to learn to harmonize that. Fortunately, I learned to do something that, although complex, I couldn’t have done without the unconditional support of my family, who gave their all from the very beginning.”
María Gómez, Almoradí’s mayor from the PP and most recently state lawmaker, for her part, reaffirmed her position as head of the City Council, as well as by an absolute majority. She is also optimistic about women’s participation in municipal politics. Therefore, remember that “besides what we can be now, there have been other mayors in the province who preceded us in different municipalities and did commendable work.”
As for the fact that they are still in the minority, the reason is not entirely clear. In her words, “There is no problem in the party because I know they have full support both in my case and in the case of other women. The thing is, sometimes it’s hard to dive in. Women give me the feeling that we think twicemore than men, and this is later reflected in the level of representation ».
Regarding the family reconciliation problem, the mayor of Almoradi states that he has three children and this is not an obstacle for him to work before finishing his degree and entering politics. “After all – he emphasizes – this is a personal decision. And now there are fewer problems, because young men are increasingly helping in everything».
María Gómez also thinks that gender is not a key variable when it comes to getting more or less votes. «Management skills are valued. On the other hand, relays in mayors’ offices are sometimes slow, given that one person may be at the top of the list several times. It’s a matter of opportunity.”
Regarding the deal with Vox at the Generalitat, the first mayor said, “We have a very clear equality policy., for, among other things, signing the treaty against gender-based violence and having a track record of supporting us. That’s why he doesn’t hesitate to say “it won’t be a problem”. The PP will continue to work actively for egalitarian policies and women will not lose any of their rights.