Emakunde is working towards ensuring that a minimum of 20% of parental leave for child care is used by fathers.

The Governing Council has today approved the 2030 Gizonduz strategy, aimed at increasing men's awareness of gender equality.

The Director of Emakunde explained that "the objective of this strategy is to raise the number of men who are informed about the issue, have undergone training, and are dedicated to promoting equality and combating gender-based violence, with a particular emphasis on young people.”

Emakunde aims to:

• Train at least 25,000 men through the various Gizonduz courses.
• Reduce the number of Basque men who adhere to traditional 'Masculinity Box' norms to below 5%, compared to 6.9% in 2024.
• Ensure that over 80% of men living in the Basque Country recognise male violence against women as a very serious social issue, up from 72.6% in 2024.

At the same time, Gizonduz— as explained by Miren Elgarresta— also faces the challenge of "increasing men's co-responsibility in domestic work and caregiving.”

This programme aims for:

• Men to dedicate an average of at least 2 hours per day to domestic work and caregiving, up from the latest available figure of 1.7 hours.
• At least 20% of parental leave for child care to be taken by men, up from the latest available figure of 14%. 

24 Million Euros for Employment Support Programmes

The Governing Council has approved the allocation of 24 million euros to support two programmes designed to assist individuals facing significant challenges in securing employment.

Specifically, as explained by the Government Spokesperson, Lanbide will invest 17.8 million euros to establish and support social enterprises. This funding is available to public or private non-profit organisations that employ individuals at risk of social exclusion or marginalisation, as well as local organisations and local enterprise partnerships (LEPs)

Lanbide will allocate an additional 6.5 million euros to employability programmes for individuals with disabilities who face specific challenges in securing employment. In addition, Maria Ubarretxena has announced that the Government will allocate 5.5 million euros to cover personnel costs for the Workplace Support Units in Supported Employment Centres. The Government will also allocate 1 million euros to finance non-current assets and technical assistance aimed at generating stable employment.

Favourable Opinion on the Proposed Amendments to the Hunting Law.

The Governing Council has also expressed its support for the proposed law to amend the Hunting Law.

"This proposal, promoted by the Basque Parliament, will ensure that companions, as clearly defined, will no longer be required to take the hunting aptitude test," said the spokesperson. "This change will encourage greater youth participation and contribute to the necessary generational shift in the sport," she added. Furthermore, the new law will simplify the process of obtaining a license, making it easier to access the world of hunting. It will also allow for the creation of new roles that can participate in hunting activities.

Statutory Instrument on Livestock Farming.

The Governing Council has also approved a new statutory instrument to regulate livestock farming in the Basque Country.

As stated by the Government Spokesperson, the instrument sets out the technical, hygienic-sanitary, and environmental conditions that livestock farms in the Basque Country must adhere to. Furthermore, it regulates the coordination between the various administrations responsible for overseeing farming.

Maria Ubarretxena explained that this instrument also seeks to simplify the administrative procedures for small farms and other smallholdings. Additionally, it outlines:

• The classification of livestock facilities.
• The obligations of livestock farm owners.
• The construction and equipment requirements.
• The location and sanitary separation of livestock facilities.
• The management of manure and carcass disposal.

Collaboration agreement between the Basque Government Department of Security and the Basque Association of Local Authorities (EUDEL)

Finally, the Governing Council has approved the signing of a new collaboration agreement between the Basque Government Department of Security and the Basque Association of Local Authorities (EUDEL) to strengthen police cooperation and coordination. This agreement, which replaces the one signed in 2018, addresses the need to update joint work mechanisms, adapting them to regulatory changes and the experience gained in recent years.

The new agreement outlines several priority areas of action, including:

• Studies aimed at improving the organisation and functioning of local police forces.
• Standardisation of criteria regarding structure, staffing, technical resources, weaponry, equipment, uniforms and professional accreditation documents.
• The promotion of equality policies and the use of the Basque language within local police forces.

As explained by spokesperson Ubarretxena, "technical working groups or committees will be established, promoted, and coordinated by the Department of Security. These groups, composed of both expert and police personnel, will ensure that all local authorities designated by EUDEL, regardless of their size, can actively collaborate in the development of these new initiatives through genuine and effective participation.”

In this way, the Basque Government and EUDEL reaffirm their commitment to enhancing public safety through the ongoing improvement of collaboration and cooperation at the police level, with the goal of providing a more efficient and coordinated service to the Basque Country public.