The Algarve is outside programs to support awareness-raising actions and campaigns to promote gender equality and combat domestic violence and discrimination. At issue is the fact that it is considered a transition region, with a GDP between 75% and 90% of the European Union average.
The situation was denounced, in Parliament, by José Carlos Barros, Algarve deputy of the PSD, in the debate in the specialty of discussion of the State Budget for 2019, with the presence of Maria Leitão Marques, Minister of the Presidency and of Administrative Modernization.
These two programs aim to "promote equal opportunities and gender, the deconstruction of prejudices, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, the inclusion of marginalized communities, the fight against discrimination", as well as the development of "specific instruments for the protection of victims and monitoring of aggressors in domestic violence».
Ao Sul Informação, José Carlos Barros revealed that, after being questioned, the «minister replied that, unfortunately, there is nothing to be done because the Algarve is a transition region».
“This is something absolutely amazing. The Algarve is being, daily, out of all the openings of these programs», considered the Algarve parliamentarian.
However, according to José Carlos Barros, the response from Rosa Monteiro, Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality, who was also present at the parliamentary hearing, may leave some hope.
"The secretary of State said to be rested that they will soon open other candidacies for domains of this kind, of gender inclusion and violence, and that, for these, the Algarve will be an eligible region", he revealed.
For the PSD deputy, “it is sad to see that, every time we go looking, we find the Algarve outside the eligible regions. This is even more serious when it comes to social issues, such as these mechanisms to support inclusion and combat domestic and gender violence».
Just this week, in the OE debate with Vieira da Silva, Minister of Labor and Solidarity and Social Security, José Carlos Barros had denounced an identical situation, regarding social institutions in the Algarve cannot apply for a program to promote inclusion and fight poverty and discrimination.
The specific objective of this “Training Program for Social Investment”, according to the respective notice for the submission of applications, is to promote entrepreneurship and social innovation, in order to improve the responsiveness of social economy organizations.
Within the scope of this program, eligible beneficiary entities are, among others, Mutual Associations, Misericórdias or entities with the status of private social solidarity institutions (IPSS).
According to José Carlos Barros, this type of discrimination in the Algarve, within the scope of programs with community funds, «repeat, multiply and reach scandalous proportions. The Algarve cannot be systematically subject to this double territorial penalty».
For the PSD deputy, there is no doubt: if it is not through community funds, it must be through the State Budget.
"Obviously we know that we are harmed, but, in the day-to-day of the State, if there is no access to community funds, it is necessary that the State Budget be financed", he concluded, in statements to Sul Informação.
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