Government of the Azores begins hearing social agents on the fight against poverty and social exclusion
The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity started in Ponta Delgada several contacts with several entities and institutions considered relevant to the future strategy of the Government to the fight against poverty and social exclusion.
Andreia Cardoso spoke at a meeting with the partners that make up the Integrated Support Network for Women at Risk on the island of São Miguel. She urged the participation of entities in defining measures that may be included in this strategy, remembering that domestic violence is a form of social exclusion.
"Under the Regional Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, we are promoting the consultation of social agents and will do the same with economic agents so that we may define a concerted strategy between the Government and these agents to tackle the issues that still concern us," said the government official.
Social exclusion is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that troubles social and political institutions, the Regional Secretary stressed, defending that these issues have a particularly harmful impact on children and young people and, therefore, are priority interventions.
"This integrated work with regional Private Social Solidarity Institutions has allowed us to substantially reduce the number of cases over the past few years," Andreia Cardoso said, adding that the Region registered in 2015 the largest decrease in this indicator at national level.
On this date, which marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Regional Secretariat for Social Solidarity also promotes an initiative on Terceira Island, more specifically a training session addressed at Victim Support Technicians. This measure is included in the 2nd Regional Plan for Prevention and Combat to Domestic and Gender Violence.
This initiative covers 18 technicians from different governmental and non-governmental partners in the implementation of that plan.
The date will be also marked by actions promoted by the Networks and Centres for the Prevention and Combat to Domestic Violence throughout the archipelago.