More information
Description
Recognising that the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has aggravated inequality, discrimination and the various forms of violence that disproportionately affect women and girls, and believing that the recovery must be an opportunity and be oriented towards the elimination of this discrimination, inequality and violence, the project aims to monitor and accompany public policies based on international conventions and other instruments to which Portugal is bound in terms of the rights of women and girls and to develop and deepen gender-sensitive budgeting of the Portugal Strategy 2030, Operational Demography, Qualification and Inclusion Plan and in the Recovery and Resilience Plan. To this end, it will, among others, reinforce the work articulated between instances of political power and women''s associations - promoting meetings with parliamentary groups and government officials, produce shadow reports on the implementation of international conventions in Portugal and produce three policy papers with recommendations in the area of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Council of Europe Recommendation on sexism and in the area of gender-responsive budgeting.
Summary of project results
The project took place during the period of economic and social recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic. Policy and financial instruments designed for recovery were insufficient to achieve gender equality, with limited financial support for women''s associations and disregard for the CEDAW Committee''s 2015 recommendations. The project aimed to influence public policy on gender rights.
The project achieved several key milestones. It invoked commitments made by Portugal, based on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), and the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. This was realized through ten public events and a march on November 25, 2022, in Lisbon, organized by the promoter. The campaign website fimdaviolencia.pt, the manifesto "Enough Violence Against Women" signed by 58 entities and 292 individuals, nine press releases, 84 media articles related to the project, and 23 project outputs were also part of this effort.
The project integrated rights through active participation in the 82nd Session of the CEDAW Committee, resulting in the adoption of recommendations aligned with the project''s concerns and proposals. It included four meetings with government representatives, eight meetings with municipal representatives, and the sending of eight letters to government members. A 10-hour training program on the mentioned conventions for women politicians significantly increased their knowledge. Additionally, contributions were made to public consultations on the 5th Action Plan for the Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking, the preliminary version of the 2023 Voluntary National Report on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the update of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The project ensured structured civil dialogue through participation in the 82nd Session of the CEDAW Committee in Geneva, bilateral meetings with Committee members, two hearings with the Subcommittee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, and the final seminar "Women''s Human Rights at the Center of Democracy" held at National Parliament. It also included eight meetings with parliamentary groups, meetings with three MP''s, and visits to Lisbon by delegations from the European Women''s Lobby, the European Center of the International Council of Women, the Vice-President of the CEDAW Committee, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.
A total of 34 initiatives were conducted, involving 1,136 people directly. The project produced 23 outputs, 17 more than initially planned, mostly in digital format. The Purple Community, a volunteer community, was established to form a new generation of feminists and strengthen the work of PpDM and its member organizations. The project''s website and the fimdaviolencia.pt campaign site collectively received 15,518 views.
In quantitative terms, the following was achieved:
- 23 NGOs engaged in monitoring public and private decision-making;
- 34 NGO initiatives promoting access to information on public/private policies;
- 1 NGO-produced evidence-based report on public/private policies reported in the media;
In terms of capacity building, the promoter had already developed an action plan based on a needs assessment conducted during a previous ACF project. This led to the implementation of improved operational, human resource, financial and IT management practices.
All proposed targets were met and exceeded.
Summary of bilateral results
Kvinnefronten, a Norwegian partner organization, actively contributed to the project by participating in partnership meetings, sharing knowledge about Norwegian law and equality campaigns, and providing policy recommendations.