The Generalitat and the universities sign a collaboration agreement to make changing official degree studies easier for students who are victims of male chauvinist violence

08/01/2019

Elsa Artadi, Minister of the Presidency, and Àngels Chacón, Minister of Enterprise and Knowledge, have signed today at the Palau de la Generalitat a collaboration agreement with all the rectors of the Catalan universities, with the goal of introducing an exceptional procedure of changing official degree studies addressed to female students who prove their condition as male chauvinist violence victims.
 
This measure will allow women who are victims of male chauvinist violence, as well as the children depending on them, to continue their official degree studies in a university different from the one where they began studying. The goal is to allow the affected person to continue their studies, as shortly as possible, via the transfer of their records, in any of the universities of the Catalan system chosen by them.
 
The agreement is an answer to the will of the Generalitat and Catalan universities to fight against gender violence and guarantee the basic rights of women who suffer it. The signatories recognise that gender violence is a structural problem suffered by woman, both publicly and privately, as part of inequal power relations between women and men. In this sense, it is a serious violation of human rights and an impediment for women to reach full citizenry, autonomy and freedom. In addition, this agreement is part of the 17 sustainable development goals established by the United Nations to overcome social inequalities.
 
Procedure and certification
 
The exceptional procedure to change official university degree studies will begin when the woman who has been a victim of male chauvinist violence or the children depending on her request the transfer of the records at the university where the degree studies were started. This procedure to change university will be free of charge.
 
In order to certify their consideration as a victim of male chauvinist violence, the affected person will be allowed to provide the following as qualified evidence:
 

• The sentence by any jurisdictional order, even if it is notfinal, declaring that the woman has suffered gender violence.
• Protection order in force.
• The Report by Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social.

 
In the absence of this evidence, the existence of the following signs will also be considered a male chauvinist situation:
 

• Any cautionary judicial protection, security or assurance measure in force.
• The report written by the security forces who have directly witnessed the gender violence expression.
• The report of the Attorney General's Office.
• The medical or psychologial report written by a professional collegiate person pointing out that the woman has been attended in a health centre due to gender violence.
• The report by the public services with the capacity to idendify the gender violence situation. This capacity is recognised for primary attention social services, refuge and recovery services, specialised intervention services and specialised units of the security forces.
• The report by the Institut Català de les Dones.
• Any other means established by legal provision.

 
 
Monitoring commission
 
With the goal of carrying out a detailed monitoring of this agreement, a Monitoring Commission will be created. It will be formed by three people in representation of the Administration of the Generalitat –one named by the head of the Secretariat of Universities and Research, one by the Interuniversity Council of Catalonia, and one by the Institut Català de les Dones–, as well as a person representing each of the universities, named by the corresponding rector.
 
This Commission will look after the compliance of the agreement and will intervene in the resolution of the controversies that may arise during its development, as well as uncertain cases, among other things.