The evaluation report on the implementation of the parity law, which was completed in September, was submitted to the Legislative Assembly, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports released some conclusions.

In a statement, the Government said that "the parity law was decisive in increasing women's political representation, ensuring a minimum and stable presence on electoral lists and inducing changes in the practices of political parties since its entry into force."

However, "despite the progress achieved, full equality in the exercise of political power has not yet been achieved."

"None of the elections held after the 2019 review reached the threshold of 40% of women actually elected, which reveals a gap between formal parity in candidacies and actual parity in decision-making positions," it states.

The ministry, led by Margarida Balseiro Lopes, also indicates that "structural and cultural barriers persist within political parties and institutions, namely the unfavourable positioning of women in electable positions, their concentration in less visible areas, the difficulties in balancing political and family life, and the growing exposure to political violence, especially in the digital space."

The statement also points out that this law "applies to electoral lists, but does not cover the composition of the bodies of power established after the elections," and "asymmetries persist in its application in local government and weaknesses in data collection and monitoring."

The evaluation report on the application of the parity law recommends "the adoption of the principle of equal representation (50/50) with mandatory gender alternation on the lists," as well as "the extension of the law to other bodies of power, such as assembly boards and intermunicipal bodies, and the strengthening of oversight and transparency mechanisms."

In this statement, the Government takes the opportunity to reiterate its commitment to "deepening equality between women and men in political life, recognising that formal parity is only the first step towards a fully inclusive democracy."