Nevenka Fernández inspires a new feminist drive in Getafe with her recognition

The pulse of equality is once again felt in southern Madrid. Getafe is preparing its annual 8 March Awards gala, an event that gains importance every year on the city’s social calendar and that in 2026 focuses on figures who have transformed the conversation about rights and coexistence.

Nevenka Fernández, an economist and former Finance Councillor in Ponferrada, will be the night’s main figure. Her story, marked by being the first woman in Spain to secure the conviction of a politician for sexual harassment, resonates beyond her municipality. The national recognition she now receives in Getafe underlines the value of breaking silences and opens new conversations in Madrid neighbourhoods about women’s role in public life.

The regional award goes to Marina Rivers, one of the most active young voices on social media. Her defence of feminism and her ability to connect with new generations have generated debate and have also brought her attacks. Rivers insists that feminism is constitutional and necessary, a message that finds an echo in Madrid’s daily life, where legal and social equality remains a shared challenge.

At local level, Carmen Espadiña will be recognised for her pioneering work. In 1984 she founded the Asociación Getafense de Ayuda a Domicilio and the city’s first nursery school, initiatives that have left their mark on the lives of many families and reflect how social changes begin close to home.

The Ana Orantes Award is granted to Asociación FIMVA, a safe space for women who have survived gender-based violence. Its networked work and participation in projects such as the La Alhóndiga mural show how neighbourhood collaboration can transform the surroundings and offer real support.

The posthumous tribute will be for Carlota Bustelo, a leading figure in feminism and socialism during the transition. As the first director of the Instituto de la Mujer, she defended the legalisation of contraceptives and constitutional equality, opening paths that remain present on the urban agenda today.

The awards ceremony will take place on 5 March, at a gala already shaping up as one of the key events for those who closely follow social movements in the Comunidad de Madrid. The city adjusts its rhythm once again, and these recognitions mark the pulse of a change felt on the street.

The Consejo Sectorial de Mujer e Igualdad de Getafe, together with the municipal delegation, has turned these awards into a barometer of the social evolution of southern Madrid. Beyond the ceremony, its work translates into concrete projects, awareness campaigns and meeting spaces that connect generations and neighbourhoods. Madrid is already beginning to move in that direction, with initiatives that seek to make equality an everyday reality.