Ondara City Council will hold its first ordinary plenary session of 30 on Thursday, January 2025, to discuss the approval of the initiative to draft a municipal ordinance abolishing prostitution and sexual exploitation.
According to the Councillor for Equality, Raquel Mengual, the proposal aims to "address prostitution and sexual exploitation from a comprehensive perspective, taking into account the prosecution of the crime; the protection of the human rights of women in prostitution; and the prevention and awareness of behaviour that directly or indirectly supports these victims."
The motivation behind this initiative is based on the fact that “the vulnerability of women victims of prostitution and sexual exploitation constitutes one of the greatest violations of women’s human rights.” Furthermore, Mengual has pointed out that “sanctioning only those behaviours that favour the demand and consumption of prostitution is not beneficial if it is not accompanied by clear action plans and protocols to reduce effective demand and facilitate avenues for protecting the rights of victims of the prostitution system.”
The ordinance will involve the implementation of a set of measures to promote the defence and protection of women and improve coexistence in public spaces. Its objective is to eradicate prostitution and sexual exploitation, penalising the demand for prostitution, but also incorporating a comprehensive approach that guarantees the defence and protection of victims.
Before the draft ordinance or regulation is drawn up, a public consultation will be held on the City Council's website in order to gather the opinions of the most representative citizens and organisations that may be affected by the future regulation. Based on the results of this consultation, the competent municipal services will be asked to draw up the abolitionist ordinance.
Approval of local holidays for 2026
The ordinary plenary session in January will also deal with the approval of local holidays for the year 2026, which will be Monday, April 13, 2026, the feast of San Vicente, and Monday, July 13, 2026, the feast of Our Lady of Solitude.
The change of the usual holiday of Santa Ana (July 26) to Saint Vincent's Monday is due to the fact that in 2026 July 26 falls on a Sunday, and when this happens, the local holiday of Ondara is moved to Saint Vincent's Monday.
