Spain Is Set to Pass a Gender Equality Law for its Cabinet

At least 40% of cabinet roles will have to be filled by women, and political parties will have to field equal numbers of men and women during elections. The new gender equality law also extends to larger businesses, where managers must be at least 40% women.

The Equal Representation Law was approved by Spain’s cabinet, which is currently 60% women, but it still needs to be voted on in parliament. It’s the latest piece of progressive legislation in Spain. The country has declared that anyone over 14 can change their legally registered gender. It has also mandated paid leave for anyone suffering from painful periods.

Globally, we’re still a long way short of political gender parity. Only 6 countries have parliaments with 50% or more women, including Rwanda(61%), Cuba (53%), and Nicaragua (52%). From 2006 to 2022 the average share of women in cabinet grew from 10% to 16% globally. While women in ministerial positions rose from 15% to 23%. At the current rate, it will take another 155 years to close the gender gap in political empowerment.