ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
The governor of Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency. The reason - gender violence. He says violence against women has caused too much harm on the island for too long. Governor Pedro Pierluisi s declaration is a victory for feminist groups that have spent years calling for this move. And we re joined now by NPR s Adrian Florido.
Hi, Adrian.
ADRIAN FLORIDO, BYLINE: Hi, Ari.
SHAPIRO: What does it mean exactly for the governor to declare a state of emergency over gender violence?
FLORIDO: Well, what the governor has done is given himself broad authority to implement policies across government agencies aimed at preventing and responding to violence against women. This is something that activists and feminist groups have been demanding for almost three years, ever since they noticed an increase in domestic violence and women murdered by their intimate partners in the months after Hurricane Maria. I spoke today with Amarilis Pagan from Proyecto Matria. It s