Matilde Fernández and her work for "Unwanted Loneliness"

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This past Tuesday, the first Minister of Social Affairs of democracy, Matilde Fernández, presented on National Radio her new State Observatory of Unwanted Loneliness, a network that aims to be a common space for work and ideas, accumulating knowledge and experience .

The Observatory , chaired by Felipe González's former Special Data minister, Matilde Fernández and in collaboration with the ONCE Foundation, has the objective of developing studies to understand the dimensions of isolation and the costs caused by loneliness in the health, work or social sphere, to through the addition of research to subtract indicators in what the former minister describes as "a statistical institute that is an expert in loneliness . "

During the interview, they had the participation of Lázaro González , president of the Unwanted Loneliness Working Commission, who wanted to highlight loneliness during the context of the pandemic. Gónzalez has highlighted the anguish of the elderly due to the lack of company, as well as the fear of dying alone. The president of the Commission wanted to mention the high percentage of older people who live in towns and who, as a result of the complications of not having adequate services available, must support themselves thanks to the solidarity of their neighbors.



Matilde Fernández affirms that retirement , a process without any transition, brings serious losses, both material and social: income, friends or the feeling of having an important job. Fernández and González propose helping people to socially connect again in their environment, through intergenerational policies and housing.

The creation of this initiative encompasses large social organizations specialized in various groups such as the Red Cross, FEMP, Third Sector Platform or ONCE . The Observatory proposes the work of this network of organizations together with the help of public servants and institutions to guarantee social relations for people, as another right. "Caring is a democratic responsibility ," Matilde Fernández declared to RNE.