Blanca Ribelles, exclosa de les processons de Sagunt per ser dona: "Traditionally, they also threw goats from the bell tower."

SaguntoThe third attempt hasn't been successful either. The assembly of the Brotherhood of the Most Pure Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ of Sagunto has once again rejected changing its statutes to allow women to participate. This decision has deeply upset all those citizens who have been working for years to shed the traditional machismo surrounding the celebration. The Ministry of Industry and Tourism also disapproved and is considering revoking the festival's designation as a Festival of National Tourist Interest. The Ministry of Equality is also considering appealing the statutes for "violating the right to equality and non-discrimination." Regardless of what the authorities do, the Inclusive Holy Week collective, made up of both women and men, has ruled out creating an alternative brotherhood, arguing that the Brotherhood of the Most Pure Blood "is the one in Sagunto." Furthermore, they have announced they will take legal action. Their spokesperson, Blanca Ribelles, details this in the newspaper ARA.

What feelings did the result evoke in you?

— Sadness. I thought society had progressed more. I was convinced that I was going to win. Yeah [The count was 276 votes against and 114 in favor]. When I received the news, my world fell apart, but so did many other people.

To what do you attribute the refusal?

— Fear of change. These are irrational fears. They say women will change everything, when we don't want to change anything. Or if things do change, it will be democratic. They cling to tradition. They used to throw goats from the bell tower. Many things were done out of tradition that, thankfully, have been left behind. They say it's tradition, but in reality, it's fear of change.

What is the majority opinion of the residents?

— There are some very angry people and others who believe it's what should have happened. I think there are more people in favor of women's participation, but not within the brotherhood.

Is the group of residents who oppose it made up equally of women and men?

— There are more women.

Why do you think so?

— Because we are a very traditional society. I am convinced that if there were majority support from the women of Sagunto, this would have already been resolved because they would have pressured their husbands, sons, and brothers, since it is a topic that is discussed in homes.

To what do you attribute the resilience of these women?

— Caution, fear. They prefer that everything stays as it is.

Are they afraid that the change will be traumatic?

— They are comfortable in this status quo And they feel their role is merely supportive. But this reflects the society we live in. At the demonstration on March 8th, it was the same old crowd. There were no young people. Among the voters of No There are much older men and young people in their 20s. Many middle-aged people vote that YeahOf these, some do so because they believe in equality [the second vote to change the status was promoted in 2022 by male members of the fraternity after the first vote held in 1999], but some also vote in favor because they have daughters and want to continue the tradition, because this is a tradition passed down from fathers to sons. If they had sons, they would still think the same.

How do you rate the actions of the City Council and the Generalitat?

— At the time, we asked the mayor not to take sides, because given the polarization we're experiencing, if he sides with the PSOE, he automatically sides with the PP. However, he has attended the demonstrations in a personal capacity. But now I'm not sure if that silence is a good thing. There are people [within the group] who believe the city council should speak out. As for the Consell, it has tried to please everyone, which is what [President Juanfran Pérez] Lorca does.

And the State?

— They had no choice but to react. The Ministry of Equality received complaints months ago, and the complainants received a very polite email saying they would take it into account, but nothing more. And the Ministry of Tourism received a complaint from someone—I don't know who—and their response was simply that they would begin an investigation. If that person hadn't filed a complaint or leaked the story to the press, I don't know if the ministry would have taken any action.

So what's the next step?

— We need to sit down and think about what to do. I believe we should opt for the legal route, given that we have a precedent with a ruling from the Constitutional Court.which forced a religious entity in Tenerife to admit a woman, [But it has been appealed to the European Court of Human Rights]. From the very first minute we started gathering to demand the change of statutes, there were already people saying that it should be done through the courts, but we have always been very cautious, saying no, that we wanted the decision to come from the brotherhood itself, not imposed... But we are very tired now. We have been arguing and continuing in the same way for four years.