Promoting Gender Equality in Political Representation and Decision-Making Bodies

The Organic Law 2/2024, of August 1st, on Parity Representation and Balanced Presence of Women and Men is a Spanish regulation aimed at promoting gender equality in various areas of society by ensuring a balanced representation of women and men in institutions and decision-making bodies. Below are the relevant points of this law:

Main Objective:
– To promote effective equality between women and men in the areas of political representation and the composition of decision-making bodies, both in the public and private sectors.

Scope of Application:
– Political institutions and bodies: The law applies to State institutions, including the Congress of Deputies, the Senate, the Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Communities, and other political representation bodies.
– Public Administration: It extends to the general administration of the State, autonomous, local administrations, and other public sector entities.
– Private sector: It applies to companies, especially those listed on the stock exchange, ensuring that their boards of directors have a balanced composition between women and men.

Key Measures:
– Parity in electoral lists: Candidate lists for elections must have a balanced composition, with at least 40% representation of each gender.
– Boards of directors: Companies listed on the stock exchange and large companies must ensure that their boards of directors consist of at least 40% women.
– Appointments in the public sector: Appointments to high-level positions in the public sector must follow parity criteria.
– Supervision and sanctions: Mechanisms are established to ensure compliance with the law and sanctions in case of non-compliance.

Entry into Force:
– The law came into effect on August 22, 2024, the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

Expected Impact:
– The law seeks to address the underrepresentation of women in decision-making and representative positions, promoting a more equitable and just society in terms of gender.

This law is part of the broader legal framework in Spain aimed at gender equality and aligns with the international commitments made by the country in terms of human rights and non-discrimination.