The combination of a rainy spring and the onset of heat has caused mosquito and cockroach populations to soar across much of the territory. This is warned by the Catalan Association of Environmental Health Companies (Adepap) on the occasion of World Pest Control Day, which will be celebrated next Saturday. The tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), a confirmed vector of diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, remains the main threat in urban areas due to its ability to breed in small domestic water accumulations. Adepap also warns about the invasion of cockroaches in the underground and homes.

“This is the cross I have been given” or “marriage is a lottery and it is for life.” These phrases, still repeated today by older women, reflect one of the less visible realities of sexist violence: resignation and learned helplessness. In this population group, the ‘culture of endurance’ lasts for decades, in many cases within a context of control, humiliation, and abuse normalized by the generational culture to which they belong.