Mortágua says women are the “beacon of the country” and wants rape to be a public crime

“The beacon for this country are the women who work, who get up early, who make an effort. The beacon for this country are the women who work all day and earn less than men. They are the women who go to work and come home and make dinner and take care of their children. The beacon for this country are the women who do not accept misogyny, who fight against violence, who demand equality,” argued the leader of the BE list in Lisbon, at a “party-rally” at LX Factory, in the capital.

In a speech focused on women and the feminist movement, Mariana Mortágua responded directly to the president of the PSD and prime minister, Luís Montenegro, who said on Saturday that he felt “the responsibility of being the country’s beacon”, with the opposition always looking back, calling on the Portuguese who want stability to “vote massively” for the Democratic Alliance (AD).

The leader directly appealed to women to vote, arguing that they are “the most powerful force against the right, be it the far right or the extreme right”.

Mariana Mortágua recalled the founding of BE , which “was created to guarantee the legalization of abortion in Portugal” and recalled that the party fought against domestic violence as a public crime and defended the rights of women in menopause in the last legislature.

“Even when the PSD was against it. Even when the PS dragged its feet. We were always there. Even when they told us it wasn’t time yet, that society wasn’t ready. We were always there. Even when the PS denied the problems of access to free abortion. We were always there. And we have a commitment: rape will be a public crime in the next legislature,” he stressed.