The historian Marina Castillo Fuentesal (Palma, 1996) has recently obtained her doctorate with a cum laude qualification from the University of the Balearic Islands. Between the yoke and the cross. Women during the Franco dictatorship in Mallorca (1939-1975) is the title of the research she has conducted for almost six years and which has been supervised by the professors of Contemporary History David Ginard and Sebastià Serra.

There are many reasons why I admire my cousinDespite being four years younger than me, I feel it would be incredibly difficult to teach her anything. I'd be mortified to have to teach that amazing woman anything. At 26, she has the same survival instinct as a single, divorced mother of four. She seems to have been born with half her life already lived, as if adulthood arrived at 18. "It's a miracle I turned out so well," she always tells me, with that dark humor that came with her Brazilian leg. And it's true. I'd like to say I'd defend her against anything and anyone, but the truth is, she's never given me the chance. She's smart, quick-witted, and vibrant. Her life is like a "Mexican soap opera"—she also says—but she outruns the misfortunes. Perhaps that's why she's been blessed with a very small bust, but also with a sharp eye and a protective mind, which lead almost everyone to mistake her for something she's not and—quickly—realize it. In fact, my favorite photo in the world is one where we appear side by side – me, at 10 years old, and her, at 6 – with such a disproportionate level of physical development that next to her, I look like a giant, about to crush a dwarf.

The percentage of female participation in the groups scheduled for this year's festival doesn't even reach 22%, a figure that, even so, slightly exceeds the 15.87% of last year's edition. These are figures that members of the MU.MA.RE (Revolutionary Mallorcan Women Musicians) collective have been analyzing since May 2024 and sharing on their Instagram profile. "It's true that there's a slight increase from one year to the next, but it doesn't seem to be a consequence of the Palma City Council implementing gender parity policies. Women's participation barely exceeds 20%, so the increase seems rather fortuitous," they told ARA Baleares. Regarding the issue of parity—and understanding female participation as that of women and gender non-conforming individuals—sources from the collective state that their assessment of the lineup is negative, "especially when we're talking about the city's most important popular festival and a cultural event in which a significant amount of public money is traditionally invested."

Nearly 1,500 people, divided into two demonstrations, marched in Palma with a common goal: to end gender-based violence. This Tuesday, the Transfeminist Coordinating Committee of Mallorca and the Feminist Movement of Mallorca marched separately through the streets of Palma in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The mobilization organized by the Transfeminist Coordinating Committee departed at 6:30 p.m. from Plaça de la Porta Pintada, while the other started at the same time from Plaça d'Espanya. However, they had different destinations: Plaça de Cort and Plaça del Tub, respectively. Despite the clear distinction between the two movements, Sara Barceló, spokesperson for the Transfeminist Coordinating Committee of Mallorca, considered that the trans-inclusive demonstration "brought in many people who otherwise would not have taken to the streets" and celebrated that "both demonstrations result in a larger turnout because there is greater representation." Some of the attendees explained to ARA Baleares that they joined the Transfeminist Coordinator's demonstration because "it's more inclusive," although they stressed that "the important thing is to demonstrate."

In Palma, more than fifteen crimes of gender violence are recorded every day. In 2024, 5,402 were recorded.This represents a 13% increase compared to the previous year, according to City Council data. Across the Balearic Islands, crimes of the same type reached 8,752, a 3% increase compared to 2013. Among the victims, older women are increasingly represented: the 24-hour service of the Balearic Women's Institute (IB-Mujer) registered a 183% increase in in-person support, rising from 7 to 6 in a single year. These figures go beyond mere numbers: behind them are stories that cry out for justice, recognition, and visibility.

The report Identification of cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation The 2024 report prepared by the Palma City Council's Technical Equality Unit determines that one in three women engaged in prostitution in Palma is a victim of human trafficking or exploitation. Furthermore, it estimates that there are at least 447 victims of sexual exploitation in Palma.

The other day I caught myself thinking, "I like that girl C. Tangana has now." Let's recap some facts about who he is: he also calls himself El Madrileño or Pucho, although his real name is Antón Álvarez. He is the author of songs as good as You stopped loving me and Laureating in the limo, among others, but also of a controversial photo on the deck of a yacht surrounded by women showing their backsides as if they were their trophies. Confusing the person and the character, it seems to me that he's playing at being a two-faced man, virile and tender, real and stupid: ironically (?) sexist. In short, C. Tangana embodies everything a guy should have to send you straight to a psychologist, as my friend Henry would say. And now it turns out he has a partner in whom, inexplicably, I find it easier to see myself.

Palma City Council's Comprehensive Care Service for Victims of Gender-Based Violence (SAIVM) has assisted 1,420 people during 2024 through its three programs, aimed at women, women and children, and male aggressors. This figure represents a 3% increase compared to the previous year. However, the number of cases of care has risen significantly among women (+15%). 1,097 were assisted, while 192 children and 121 men were treated. According to Lourdes Roca, Councilor for Social Services, Education, Citizen Participation, Youth, and Equality, 90% of the women achieved the project's objectives, 79% of the children improved their emotional well-being, and 84% of the men assisted acknowledged having caused harm and were working to improve.

I remember the day when, for the first time, I was able to verbalize that I was lost, that I didn't know what to do with my life, that perhaps I had failed. I was in Hong Kong with my boyfriend, about to finish a nearly four-month trip through Asia. We were on a long trip, and I felt like I had all the time in the world, the feeling that makes you feel comfortable starting on unfinished business. So I began to reflect out loud, constantly walking, putting one foot after the other: right, left, right, left. "Maybe I should have studied something else." Right, left, right, left. "I just wasn't brave enough." Right, left, right, left. "I did everything wrong." Right, left, right, left. From higher and higher, from my chest getting tighter and tighter. I remember the rhythm of my breathing, the constant rhythm, the traffic jam that made all the intrusive thoughts move very quickly. I hyperventilated and couldn't stop the torrent of words.

73-year-old Selvatgina native Francisca Coll Sampol proudly stands next to her huge youthful photo in the exhibition. Braid, at the Inca Footwear Museum. "It's from 1965," she says. "I was 13 years old at the time. It was made for me by the people from Trenzados Fiol in Inca for a leather fair that was scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf (Germany). For the occasion, they wanted me to dress as a peasant, although I never had a handloom with me. This is the ancestral tradition of our trade."

Forbes Women Spain This Monday, the magazine presented its list of the 50 most influential women in the Balearic Islands for 2025. These include the president of the Balearic Government, Marga Prohens; the singer and television presenter Chenoa; and the Michelin-starred chef Maca de Castro. In this way, the magazine aims to highlight the leadership and contributions of outstanding women in sectors as diverse as business, politics, culture, sports, and innovation in the archipelago.