Peñarol makes “a minute without silence” against gender violence

Montevideo, 19 Mar Peñarol called this Saturday for their midterms to do “a minute without silence” to raise awareness about gender violence, inequalities and the need for women to speak and be heard. “Then there will be a minute without silence. Yes, without silence. Because we don't want to keep silent,” said a message sent by the loudspeakers before the game between the team 'Aurinegro' and Deportivo Maldonado at the Champion del Siglo stadium, for the sixth day of the Apertura Tournament. “We don't want more minutes or hours of silence accumulated by femicide or because of differences of opportunity, inequality, violence and lack of freedom. We can't afford another minute of silence. We need to talk, to be heard and for everyone to echo this message,” he added. Finally, the statement issued by the club's Gender Secretariat remarked: “If you are not part of the solution, you are definitely part of the problem. Turn this game around so that there are no more minutes of this silence.” With this idea, Peñarol sought to transform the traditional minute of silence that is held as a tribute before the matches into a space of vindication “so that there is no more silence about the situations of violence and inequality that women face on a daily basis”. In January 2021, eleven women linked in different ways to the 'carbonera' entity held the first all-women's session of a local football board, in which nutrition graduate Patricia López acted as substitute president. That was a first step towards the creation of a Gender Secretariat in the club. “We want to achieve equality and equity, also make it clear that we are here not because of a female quota but because each of us has been working for years in the club,” Lopez said at the time.