Catarina Martins spoke to journalists in Funchal after meeting with representatives of Associação Presença Feminina, an organization supporting domestic violence victims, highlighting the “valuable work” being done there.
The candidate pointed out that “violence against women and domestic violence remain one of the country’s biggest security problems,” but noted that “it is possible to leave these relationships” and emphasized the work done by various associations.
“We must learn from those who were able to leave the situation and had support. And also say that in Portugal, we need a new generation of policies against violence, prevention of violence,” she advocated.
“Because we need to support the victims, but above all, we need there to be no victims or aggressors, we need the violence to end,” added the candidate supported by BE, who is on a one-day visit to Madeira.
Catarina Martins acknowledged that a President of the Republic neither legislates nor governs, but stressed that they can “launch debates differently.”
“And I propose to launch the debate on how we end violence in the home, being capable of a new prevention policy with education at all ages,” she stated.
“Because Portugal cannot resign itself to having victims and aggressors at home. We really need to change our society,” she reinforced, noting that “there are few things more terrible than knowing that, for many people, being at home is the greatest danger.”
When asked about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the discrimination of women and other minority groups, Catarina Martins stated that regulation is needed since AI “learns from the patterns it encounters.”
“We cannot go backward. […] People must have equal dignity; everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, everyone. And this work against discrimination cannot now be jeopardized by artificial intelligence that learns from the worst of the digital world,” she stressed.
