By The Star Staff
Puerto Rico Teachers Association (AMPR by its Spanish initials) President Víctor Manuel Bonilla Sánchez reiterated on Tuesday the importance of adopting public policies that serve to address sexist violence in Puerto Rican society, and that teaching based on equity and respect be intensified to build relationships of equality, love for differences and cooperation between genders.
“Since last week, specifically, the Teachers’ Association with other diverse groups of our civil society have been raising our voices to demand that to address the sexist violence that surrounds us as a country, it is necessary to continue adopting public policies of relevance to this situation and give greater importance to education based on equity and respect,” Bonilla Sánchez said in a written statement. “It is a priority that we make education an instrument for addressing social inequalities and strengthening a culture of human rights, which does not validate or reproduce stereotypes, prejudices and inequities. Today, sexist violence has touched us very closely by taking away one of our Association’s teachers. Marisol, who dedicated a large part of her life to teaching from love, solidarity and respect, did not deserve, just as the other victims of sexist violence that we have had do not deserve, to die because of the mistaken idea that she was the property of her perpetrator.”
Marisol Muñiz González, 61, was killed Monday in Aguada by a 65-year-old man who was reportedly her partner.
Separately on Tuesday, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau stated that according to their records, six cases of femicide have occurred so far this year, five of them classified as intimate femicides and one as a family femicide.
The teachers leader added that “it is essential that our generations are aware from an early age that no one is anyone’s property.”
“Our life is sacred and no one has the right to interrupt it or end it,” he said. “We all have the same rights and deserve to be treated equally. Education is the spearhead to end the different forms of discrimination and the paradigms of superiority that often occur in some social groups.”
Bonilla Sánchez added that the sad news that teachers have received confirms the need to promote initiatives to combat the evil of gender-based violence. He noted that this Friday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the human “Ribbon of Love” event against sexist violence will take place starting at 10 a.m. at El Morro. “Historically, since its founding 112 years ago, our organization has been part of all the struggles that as a country we have undertaken to achieve a more equitable and just society, it is up to us at this momentous time to be part of the search for solutions to stop sexist violence,” the AMPR leader said.
Bonilla Sánchez announced that, as part of the efforts to combat this social problem, the AMPR will join the Office of the Women’s Ombudsman and the Chamber of Representatives with an initiative that will be announced today and that seeks to extend the services offered to women. victims and survivors of gender violence.