• Government minister urged to move quickly to reduce poverty, inequalities
• Umbrella NGO group faults political deadlock for increased social exclusion
An umbrella group representing 30,000 local, regional and national non-governmental organisations across Spain has called on the newly appointed Minister for Healthcare, Social Services and Equality, Dolors Monserrat, to immediately push forward with the adoption of legislation stalled since October of last year to combat poverty and social exclusion and close the gap on social inequalities in Spain.
According to the Spain’s Plataforma del Tercer Sector (“Third Sector Platform”), the political deadlock that spanned the last 10 months and two general elections in Spain led to government inaction that has exacerbated the growth in the gap of inequality and an increase in the social exclusion from poverty of nearly 13 million people.
The NGO umbrella organisation called for the immediate implementation of a framework to carry out the mandate established by the stalled October 2015 legislation on social services and benefits, saying that a comprehensive framework and guaranteed government financing of the work of non-governmental social service agencies is needed to combat poverty and social exclusion.
The organisation also called on Monserrat to show leadership in efforts to provide more affordable housing, job security and ensure universal access to healthcare.
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