Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s socialist prime minister, has announced plans to introduce a gender equality law that would require more equal representation of women and men in politics, business and other areas of public life. The Equal Representation Act will apply gender equality measures to electoral rolls, boards of directors of large companies and boards of professional associations.
Sanchez made the announcement at a Socialist Party rally ahead of March 8, International Women’s Day. The text of the new law will be approved at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday before it is sent to Parliament. The socialist leader declared that the government “has taken a step in favor of not only feminism, but the entire Spanish community”. “If they represent half the population, half the political and economic power should be women,” Sanchez said on Saturday. said.
As Reuters explained, the equal representation law would require women to make up 40 percent of directors in any publicly traded company with more than 250 employees and annual turnover of 50 million euros ($53 million). In politics, the law will require parties to propose an equal number of male and female candidates during elections in order to increase gender equality in Parliament. Currently, women make up 44% of Congress and 39% of the Senate. The law will also require professional associations to have at least 40 percent women on their boards, as does the juries of publicly funded awards.
It is the latest in a series of gender equality measures announced by the left-wing coalition government. In December, lawmakers passed a pioneering sexual and reproductive health bill and a transgender rights bill offering state-funded paid leave to women experiencing painful periods for the first time in a European country.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
