National Guidelines in Portugal - National Plan for Equality
(PNI - Plano nacional para a igualdade) 2003-2006

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The PNI, covering 2003 to 2006, was presented by the Portuguese government in July 2003. The PNI aims at improving equality between genders in various areas, such as:

1. education,
2. culture,
3. the balance between private, public, professional and family life,
4. power and decision-making,
5. economic life,
6. employment,
7. health,
8. preventing violence against women,
9. fiscal and social protection policies,
10. living conditions and the environment,
11. poverty and social exclusion,
12. international cooperation; and,
13. the media.

In its introduction, the PNI underlines the necessity to systematically integrate the perspective of equality between genders in the political agenda and to secure that all involved actors recognise this dimension in the measures to be taken. The PNI provides for mechanisms to monitor its full implementation.

The PNI engages in two main areas of intervention:

1. 'structuring measures' ("medidas estruturantes") , generally addressed to the public administration, where teams will be set up in each Ministry to be responsible for the dissemination of the equality strategy and ensuring the implementation of the plan; and,
2. measures in specific areas that require the close collaboration of all actors (government departments, citizens, companies, NGOs and other organisations). These measures focus on four key areas:
   1. professional activity and family life (covering the issues of labour, employment, maternity and paternity and the balance between work and family life);
   2. education, training and information (in order to improve the general standard of information in relation to gender equality and its implications);
   3. citizenship and social inclusion (addressing various areas requiring prompt intervention, facilitating the improved participation of women in various areas of life, particularly in politics); and,
   4. co-operation with countries belonging to the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries ("Comunidade de Países de Língua Portuguesa"), encouraging dialogue with Portuguese-speaking countries in which the position of women is particularly difficult.

The plan also creates incentives for companies that adopt policies for a more balanced representation of men and women in particular sectors and occupations. One of the hopes expressed is that employers should understand that the balancing of work and family life is not only an employee's right but also a key instrument in encouraging greater productivity.

The implementation of the PNI is essentially the responsibility of two commissions: the Commission for Equality and Women's Rights and the Commission for Equality in Work and Employment. They are responsible for putting the plan into effect and should adopt a proactive approach to intervention. They should attempt to strengthen the horizontal relationship between different parts of the public administration and contact companies directly, seeking to raise their awareness in relation to issues such as the implementation of equal pay for equal work. Interdepartmental teams will also be established in each Ministry, with responsibility for the coordination, implementation, monitoring and assessment of the integration of a gender perspective in all policies and programmes. The Ministries will adopt positive action measures, with a view to developing human resource management policies that promote equality. The program is scheduled to start in September 2003.