MADRID, March 4, (Reuters) – The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Saturday a gender equality law which will allow for more equal representation of women in politics, business, and other spheres.
The Equal Representation Law will apply gender equality measures to electoral lists, boards of directors of large companies, and governing boards for professional associations.
Sanchez made the announcement at a Socialist party rally in advance of International Women’s Day, March 8. It will be approved at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, before being debated in parliament.
He stated that the government was not only making a move in favor of feminism but also in favor of Spanish society in general.
This is the latest in a string of equality measures that the leftist coalition government has announced. In December, lawmakers passed a transgender rights law and a pioneering law covering reproductive health. This was the first time that a European country offered state-funded paid leave to women suffering from painful periods.
Sanchez stated that women must represent half of society if they are to have half the political and economic power.
The Equal Representation law will require that women must make up 40% of the management in any listed company with over 250 employees and a turnover of 50,000,000 euros ($53 million) annually.
The law will require political parties to offer equal numbers for male and female candidates in elections. This is done with the goal of increasing gender parity within parliament. Currently, 44% of Congress is made up of women and 39% of the Senate are women.
It will also require professional associations have at least 40% female directors, as well as juries to any awards funded with public money.
($1=0.9406 euros)
Reporting by Jessica Jones; Editing and editing by David Holmes
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