The Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, has announced that she will offer support and accompaniment to those women who decide to report the exclusion from the Sagunto brotherhood, in the province of Valencia, which prevents their participation as cofrades. The department considers that this situation may violate the principle of equality and does not rule out the adoption of additional measures.
From the Executive they insist that it is a case that transcends the religious sphere, by affecting fundamental rights, and they underline that any entity operating in the public space must respect the current legislation on equality.
The controversy has already had institutional consequences. The Government has initiated the procedures to withdraw from Sagunto's Holy Week the declaration of National Tourist Interest Festival, a recognition it had held since 2004. The decision was adopted after learning of the persistence of internal rules that exclude women from certain brotherhoods.
For its part, the affected brotherhood is studying appealing its statutes to adapt them to the regulations and avoid new sanctions or administrative measures. However, sources close to the process acknowledge that there are internal resistances and that the debate remains open within the organization.
