Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the Equal Representation Law that requires more equal representation of women and men in politics, business, and other fields of public life, as reported by Reuters on March 4. Under the law, any listed company with more than 250 workers and an annual turnover of EUR50m (USD53m) must have at least 40% female employees. In politics, the law will require parties to offer equal numbers of male and female candidates during elections to promote gender parity in parliament. Moreover, the share of women in the boards of professional associations needs to be more than 40%. The law will be approved during the cabinet meeting on March 7 before going for debate in parliament.

Spain ranks sixth in the European Union (EU) on Gender Equality Index for 2022 with a score of 74.6 out of 100, 6.0 points above the European Union (EU) average. The country stands out in women’s political empowerment. By the first quarter of 2022, Spanish women took up 44.9% and 41.5% positions as ministers and members of parliament, up from 29% and 39% in 2015. In comparison, the share of female ministers and members of parliament were only 33.4% and 33% in Europe in 1Q22. Last December, Spanish lawmakers also passed a transgender rights bill and a ground-breaking law on sexual and reproductive health, making it the first European country to offer state-funded paid leave for women who suffer from painful periods.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-announces-law-promoting-gender-parity-politics-business-2023-03-04/

https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index/2022/country/ES

https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index/2022/domain/power/ES