Senator condemns rejection of $1M proposal for women’s shelters.

Popular senator Ada Álvarez Conde

By THE STAR STAFF

Popular senator Ada Álvarez Conde today denounced the negative report issued by the Senate Finance, Budget and PROMESA Committee on Senate Joint Resolution 11 (SJR 11), a measure she authored aimed at allocating funds to shelters that serve survivors of gender violence in Puerto Rico.

The legislator pointed out that it is particularly worrying that the negative report was issued right during Women’s Week, given that the measure’s purpose is to strengthen services that protect the lives and safety of women victims of violence.

RCS 11 was introduced by the senator on January 8, 2025, with the goal of allocating one million dollars to the organizations that make up the National Network of Gender Violence Shelters in Puerto Rico, so that they can remain operational, expand their services, and address the increase in cases of violence faced by women on the island.

Álvarez Conde pointed out that the negative report is particularly worrying because, although it argues that there is no identified item in the current budget, the legislation itself proposed that the funds be considered within the government’s next fiscal budget.

“This proposal can be seriously considered in the next budget after it took more than a year to address the measure,” the senator said.

Alvarez also warned that this decision comes at a critical time, when cuts in federal funding for women’s programs and services have recently been reported, increasing the pressure on local organizations already facing operational limitations.

“When we talk about shelters for women survivors of violence, we’re not talking about numbers in a budget; we’re talking about lives. Saying no to this measure is saying no to strengthening the network that protects women in danger. Puerto Rico cannot afford to close its doors to those who save lives every day. The shelters need real support from the government, not more budgetary excuses, and it’s ironic that the measure took a year to be evaluated and when they finally say no, it’s precisely during Women’s Week.”