UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 13) As of January 2019, and following a Council of Ministers decision, all official documents from the Administration must use the expression “Human Rights” (Direitos Humanos/ Droits Humains) rather than “Rights of Man” (Direitos do Homem/ Droits de l’Homme). This is a further step towards equality and inclusiveness.
Para 75) In February 2019, Parliament approved a Government bill that amends the “Parity Law” to increase to 40% the threshold of the under-represented sex in the lists of candidates to the National Parliament, European Parliament, elective bodies of municipalities, and members of the Parish Councils.
Para 76) An innovative work-life balance programme was launched in December 2018 to foster conditions for women and men to be able to balance professional, personal and family life. Portugal negotiated new funding from EEA Grants102 that secured 7M€ for projects to promote WLB …
Para 77) Government has been gradually implementing gender budgeting. The 2019 State Budget establishes that all public administration services and bodies’ budgets integrate a gender perspective, and should identify which programmes, activities or measures will be subject to gender impact analysis in 2019.
Para 78) The 2019 State Budget states that Government should develop support measures for informal caregivers, namely by reinforcing their social protection and providing training.
Para 79) The following measures illustrate Portugal’s commitment to fight women’s discrimination in the workplace: • Law 60/2018 approved measures to promote equal pay for men and women for equal work and work of equal value; • Law 62/2017 defines minimum thresholds of both sexes in boards and supervisory bodies of public (33%) and listed companies (20% as from 2018 and 33% as from 2020). These companies must draw up and publish annual equality plans; • In February 2019, Parliament approved a Government bill that sets a minimum of 40% of both sexes in public administration senior officials, managing bodies of public higher education institutions; professional and public associations; • Decree-Law 84/2015 provides for financial support to employers that hire unemployed jobseekers of the under-represented sex in a particular occupation; • Two new web tools (a self-assessment survey and a gender pay gap calculator) by the Commission for Equality in Labour and Employment that enable companies to analyse their personnel pay structure and understand whether the pay differences are gender-based; • A Time Use Survey project that collected data on the time used on paid and unpaid work by men and women; • In 2014, the project “Sexual and Moral Harassment in the Workplace” collected data and raised awareness on moral and sexual harassment in the labour market; • Law 73/2017 reinforces the regime on the prevention of harassment at work.
Para 80) The Portuguese Authority for Labour Conditions carries out inspections (in 2017: to 86 entities, covering a total of 2.532 workers); organises awareness-raising initiatives on equality and non-discrimination directed to students, workers, employers and civil society; has a hotline phone number and its website contains specific information on these topics.
Para 130) Continuous investment in childcare services is a priority: the coverage rate for early childhood (0–3 years) went from 20.3% in 2000 to 49.2% in 2014 and 51.1% in 2015; family allowances for children in single parent families, family benefits and child benefits have been increased and parental rights have been reinforced by allowing the initial parental leave, between 120 and 150 days, to be enjoyed simultaneously by the two parents. The father's initial parental allowance was extended from 10 to 15 days.
Para 168) … There is a table of compulsory topics for all education levels, including HR, gender equality, …

UN Compilation:
Para 8) CEDAW … welcomed efforts to improve the institutional and policy framework aimed at accelerating the elimination of discrimination against women and promoting gender equality.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 13) The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (EU-FRA) mentioned that the Penal Code was amended to punish with imprisonment ranging between six months and five years, anybody who established an organisation or developed propaganda activities inciting discrimination, hatred or violence against a person or group of persons because of their … sex, gender, …
Para 39) … CoE-ECSR referred to the right to equal opportunities and treatment in employment and occupation without sex discrimination and noted that in equal pay cases, legislation only permitted comparisons of pay between employees working for the same company.
Para 55) CoE-ACFC noted with satisfaction efforts to promote gender equality within the Roma community by promoting women’s professional skills which were considered as essential conditions for women’s empowerment, both within Roma communities and in society as a whole.