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On the 25th of November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Crue Universidades Españolas shows its commitment to the construction of an egalitarian society that puts an end to the violence that undermines democratic values and human rights, principles which are fundamental in Spanish universities, both in teaching and research, and in the transfer of knowledge.

Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out a series of actions aimed at achieving equality and combating the multiple forms of violence suffered by women and girls throughout the world. However, there are many other goals that incorporate a cross-cutting gender perspective, which is essential if we are to prevent the propagation of patriarchal models that perpetuate violence against women simply because they are women. Furthermore, although there is an international and national legal framework that plays an important role in the protection of women's rights, we must not forget the special vulnerability of women in armed conflicts such as the current war in Ukraine. This 25th of November, we must also highlight the violence that has broken out in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested and allegedly murdered by the "morality police", which Crue condemned in a statement.

Spanish universities, which maintain a permanent link with society and play an important role in social leadership, must not be oblivious to any of this, nor can they be oblivious to the multiple forms of violence perpetrated against women: murder, cyber-violence, human trafficking, harassment, sexual aggression, vicarious violence, as well as various forms of sexist aggression which are not always visible, but which continue to be perpetrated at a global level. In this context, it is also worth noting the impact of environmental disasters and conflicts on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people, namely women and girls.

Education is a priority in the fight against inequality and gender-based violence. It plays a crucial role when it comes to prevention, but also detection. We therefore need to enhance research, which is essential if we are to gain in-depth knowledge of the causes of violence and to come up with solutions that contribute to the eradication of violence and redress for the victims.

In recent years, we have seen how the Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in violence against women and against children. But gender-based violence represents a pandemic in itself, as highlighted by the World Health Organisation, and it is estimated that one in three women in the world has suffered some form of violence in her lifetime. Populism and authoritarian movements that deny gender-based violence strongly damage democratic values. It is therefore necessary that we use education to promote equality with sufficient resources for training and research from a gender perspective, as required by our current legislation, while at the same time building safe spaces free of violence which serve as a model for society.

We owe it to Mahsa Amini. We owe it to each and every woman who has been a victim of violence this year and to those who risk their lives to fight against political or religious oppression. For them, never again.