Portugal

The domain of work score has slightly increased due to some progress in both sub-domains: participation and segregation and quality of work.

The employment rates (20-64) for women and men (66 % and 73 %, respect­ively) have not yet reached Portugal’s Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020) target, which is to have 75 % of the adult population in employment.

For both women and men, the employment rate decreases when the number of hours worked is taken into account. The full-time equivalent (FTE) employment rate of women is 44 %, compared to 53 % for men.

The gender gap in employment, measured by FTE employment rates, has narrowed slightly, while the duration of working life has increased slightly for women and remained stable for men.

Among women and men in couples with children, the FTE employment rate for women is 72 %, compared to 80 % for men. Among highly educated women and men, the gender gap is smaller compared to the gender gap among women and men with middle and low levels of education.

14 % of women work part-time, compared to 11 % of men. On average, women work 38 hours per week, compared to 41 hours per week for men. 3 % of working-age women versus 0.1 % of working-age men either outside the labour market or work part-time due to care responsibilities.

The sub-domain of segregation and quality of work has improved. The gender-segregated labour market remains a reality for both women and men. Approximately three times more women than men work in education, human health and social work activities (EHW) (28 % of women, compared to 7 % of men). Three times more men (30 %) than women (9 %) work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) occupations.

The situation of gender equality in the domain of money shows some progress, with gains in financial resources, and some signs of improvements in the economic situation sub-domain.

Mean monthly earnings of women and men have increased, but women continue to earn less (roughly 16 % less than men every month). The gap is bigger among highly educated people, lone parents and women and men in couples with children, always to the detriment of women.

The population of women and men at risk of poverty has remained the same, and they are at a similar risk of poverty (about 19 % and 18 %, respectively).

Women and men living in Portugal born outside the EU are considerably more at risk of poverty, with 38 % of women and 40 % of men in these groups at risk of poverty.

Other groups at high risk of poverty are lone mothers (35 %) and young women and men (25 % of women and 28 % of men aged 15-24).

Inequalities between the richest and the poorest decreased slightly, especially among women.

The gender pay gap is 18 % to the detriment of women, two percentage points (p.p.) above the EU-28 average. In 2012, women had lower pensions than men and the gender gap was 31 % (38 % in the EU-28).

The score in the domain of knowledge has improved by 6.2 points. This is the result of significant progress made in the sub-domain of attainment and participation in education.

The percentage of women with tertiary education has increased from 11 % to 20 %. The number of tertiary education graduates increased similarly among men (from 8 % to 14 %). A large gender gap thus remains: there are still more women than men holding a tertiary education degree. Only 6 % of men and 8 % of women with disabilities hold a tertiary degree.

Adult participation in lifelong learning and training — both formal and non-formal — has increased for both genders but particularly for men. 15 % of women and 16 % of men are enrolled in such activities.

Segregation of study fields remains a significant challenge, with 41 % of women students (compared to only 19 % of men students) concentrated in education, health and welfare, and humanities and arts — fields that are traditionally seen as ‘feminine’. There has been limited progress in this sub-domain.

The domain of time remained stable, with the greatest challenge remaining in the division of time allocated to domestic, care and leisure activities between women and men. This score for Portugal is one of the lowest in the EU-28 (18 points below the EU-28 average).

Modest progress has been made in closing the gender gap when it comes to women and men caring for children or grandchildren. 37 % of women and 28 % of men dedicated 1 hour or more a day to caring activities.

87 % of women in a couple with children take care of their family for 1 hour or more daily, compared to 79 % of men. The gender gap is notable for those aged 25-49 (69 % of women, compared to 43 % of men).

78 % of women do cooking and housework every day for at least 1 hour, compared to only 19 % of men.

This uneven distribution of household responsibilities is the highest within the 50-64 age group, with 90 % of women and 20 % of men cooking or doing housework every day. Younger generations are displaying similar patterns of unequal sharing of housework (83 % of women aged 25-49 cook every day, compared to 21 % of men).

Inequality in time-sharing at home also extends to other social activities. Men are more likely than women to participate in sporting, cultural, and leisure activities outside the home (20 % of men, compared to 10 % of women).

Portugal has met both of the ‘Barcelona targets’, which are to have at least 33 % of children below the age of three in childcare and 90 % of children between the age of three and school age in childcare. In Portugal, the enrolment rates are 47 % and 90 %, respectively.

In the domain of power, the score has increased significantly, although it remains the domain with the lowest score in Portugal. This increase was driven by gains in the sub-domains of political and economic power. The sub-domain of social power shows a slight drop in score.

In terms of women’s political representation, progress has been observed at the ministerial, parliamentarian and regional levels.

The share of women in ministerial positions increased from 14 % to 23 %, and the share of women Members of Parliament rose from 23 % to 33 %.

Despite progress seen in the representation of women on the corporate boards of the largest companies, men still represent 88 % of decision-makers in this sector.

In the finance sector, women’s representation is also progressing slowly. Women represent 6 % of members of the central bank, an improvement from having no women members in the central bank in 2005.

A third of board members of research funding organisations, a third of board members of publicly owned broadcasting organisations and only 13 % of members of the highest decision-making bodies of national Olympic sport organisations are women.

Regarding health status, access to services and behaviour, women and men in Portugal (and more broadly in the EU-28) are doing relatively well, with limited gender inequalities.

The health score is still a strong score, with gender gaps in access to services narrowing, although there has been a slight setback in the score and rank for this domain. The decrease in the score is driven by a decrease in the sub-domain of access. Unmet needs for dental examination have increased for women and men.

Life expectancy has increased for both women and men. Women on average live 6 years longer than men. However, the number of years women can expect to live in good health has decreased from 57 to 55 years, while this number has remained at 58 years for men.

42 % of women and 52 % of men in Portugal rate their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. When taking level of education into consideration, perception of good health drops as level of education does, with only 27 % of women and 40 % of men with low levels of education declaring they are in good health.

In Portugal, 37 % of men engage in smoking and/or harmful drinking practices, compared to 15 % of women. Men are also more likely than women to engage in health-promoting behaviour, such as exercising and eating fruit and vegetables (35 % compared to 30 %).

Violence against women is included in the Gender Equality Index as a satellite domain. This means that the scores of the domain of violence do not have an impact on the final score of the Gender Equality Index. From a statistical perspective, the domain of violence does not measure gaps between women and men as core domains do. Rather, it measures and analyses women’s experiences of violence. Unlike other domains, the overall objective is not to reduce the gaps of violence between women and men, but to eradicate violence completely.

A high score in the Gender Equality Index means a country is close to achieving a gender-equal society. However, in the domain of violence, the higher the score, the more serious the phenomenon of violence against women in the country is. On a scale of 1 to 100, 1 represents a situation where violence is non-existent and 100 represents a situation where violence against women is extremely common, highly severe and not disclosed. The best-performing country is therefore the one with the lowest score.

Portugal’s score for the composite measure of violence is 24.5, which is slightly lower than the EU average.

In Portugal, 24 % of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once since the age of 15. 66 % of them have experienced health consequences as a result of being subjected to at least one episode of physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15.

18 % of women who have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by any perpetrator in the past 12 months have not told anyone. This rate is higher than that estimated at European Union level (13 %)

At the societal level, violence against women costs Portugal an estimated EUR 4.7 billion per year through lost economic output, service utilisation and personal costs (1).

The domain of violence is made up of three sub-domains: prevalence, which measures how often violence against women occurs; severity, which measures the health consequences of violence; and disclosure, which measures the reporting of violence.

[1] This is an exercise done at EU level to estimate the costs of the three major dimensions: services, lost economic output and pain and suffering of the victims. The estimates were extrapolated to the EU from a United Kingdom case study, based on population size. EIGE, Estimating the costs of gender-based violence in the European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014, p. 142.

Portugal’s score in the domain of work is 72.5, showing progress of 1.9 points since 2005 (+ 0.5 points since 2015), with improvements in both sub-domains.

The employment rate (of people aged 20-64) is 72 % for women and 79 % for men. With the overall employment rate of 75 %, Portugal has achieved its national EU 2020 employment target of 75 %. The full-time equivalent (FTE) employment rate decreased for women (from 47 % to 45 %) and men (from 64 % to 56 %) between 2005 and 2017, narrowing the gender gap (from 17 percentage points (p.p.) to 10 p.p.). Among women and men in couples with children, the FTE employment rate is 80 % for women and 91 % for men. The gender gap decreases in proportion to increases in education level: among highly educated women and men, the gender gap is much smaller (2 p.p.), compared to women and men with low levels of education (17 p.p.).

Around 13 % of women work part-time, compared to 8 % of men. On average, women work 38 hours per week, and men work 41 hours. The uneven concentration of women and men in different sectors of the labour market is an issue: 29 % of women work in education, health and social work, compared to 7 % of men. Fewer women (9 %) than men (31 %) work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) occupations.

Portugal’s score in the domain of money is 72.1, showing progress of 3.3 points since 2005 (+ 1.2 points since 2015), with improvements in the economic and financial situations of women and men.

With mean monthly earnings increasing less for women (+ 9 %) than for men (+ 15 %) from 2006 to 2014, the gender gap grew: women earn 16 % less than men. In couples with and without children, women earn a quarter less than men. Among women and men with low, medium and high education, women earn around a third less than men. The gap is also wider among people born outside Portugal: foreign-born women earn 32 % less than foreign-born men, compared to native-born women who earn 23 % less than native-born men.

The risk of poverty has remained the same since 2005: nearly 19 % of women and 18 % of men are at risk. People facing the highest risk of poverty are lone parents (33 %), young people aged 15-24 (26 %), single people (25 %) and people with low education (24 %). Inequalities in income distribution decreased among women and men between 2005 and 2017. Women earn, on average, around 84 cents for every euro a man makes per hour, resulting in a gender pay gap of 16 %. The gender pension gap is 32 %.

Portugal’s score in the domain of knowledge is 55.1, with a 6.5-point increase since 2005 (+ 0.3 points since 2015). Portugal ranks 23rd in the domain of knowledge in the EU but has improved significantly in the sub-domain of attainment and participation.

The share of women tertiary graduates rose between 2005 and 2017 (from 11 % to 21 %). For men, increases in tertiary attainment have progressed at a slower pace (from 8 % to 15 %). The gender gap in attainment is wider for women and men born outside Portugal in the EU (16 p.p.) and between women and men aged 25-49 (13 p.p.). Portugal has not yet reached its national EU 2020 target of having 40 % of people aged 30-34 obtain tertiary education. The current rate is 34 % (43 % for women and 24 % for men). Participation in lifelong learning increased for both women and men from 11 % to 15 % for women and 16 % for men between 2005 and 2017.

The uneven concentration of women and men in tertiary study fields remains a challenge for Portugal. About 40 % of women students and 18 % of men students study education, health and welfare, or humanities and art.

Portugal’s score in the domain of time has not changed since the last edition of the Index, because new data is not available. The next data update for this domain is expected in 2021. More frequent time-use data would help to track progress in this domain.

Portugal’s score in the domain of time is 47.5 (the fourth lowest in the EU), with decreased gender inequalities in the distribution of time spent on care activities since 2005. Around 37 % of women and 28 % of men dedicate one hour or more a day to care activities. In couples with children, 87 % of women take care of their family for one hour or more daily, compared to 79 % of men. The gender gap is wider for those aged 25-49 (26 p.p.). Around 78 % of women do cooking and housework every day for at least one hour, compared to only 19 % of men, which is among the widest gender gaps in the EU.

Fewer women (10 %) than men (20 %) participate in sporting, cultural or leisure activities outside the home. Similar proportions of women (7 %) and men (5 %) are involved in voluntary or charitable activities.

Portugal’s score in the domain of power is 46.7 with a significant 24.5 point increase since 2005 (+ 12.8 points since 2015). The domain’s score is progressing at nearly twice the pace of the EU’s score (+ 13.0 points). There are significant improvements in the sub-domains of political and economic decision-making, while progress has stalled in the sub-domain of social power.

Portugal introduced a legislative candidate quota of 33 % in 2006, and the share of women in parliament has increased (from 20 % in the beginning of 2005 to 36 % in 2015). The share of women ministers increased from 14 % to 35 % between 2005 and 2018). The share of women members of parliament also rose from 24 % to 36 % in the same period. Women make up 24 % of members of regional assemblies.

In the sub-domain of economic power, improvements were made. On the board of the central bank, the share of women rose from 0 % to 33 % between 2005 and 2018). Portugal also introduced a legislative quota requiring 33 % of women on the boards of companies in 2017. The share of women more than tripled (from 6 % in 2005 to 19 % in 2018) on the boards of the largest publicly listed companies. Women comprise 36 % of board members of research-funding organisations and 33 % of publicly owned broadcasting organisations.

Portugal’s score in the domain of health is 84.5, with no significant change since 2005 (+ 0.9 points since 2015). In the health domain, Portugal ranks 20th in the EU. Gender equality in health status has slightly improved, while progress has stalled in access to health services. There is no new data for health behaviour.

Self-perceptions of good health increased for women (from 41 % to 44 %) and men (from 51 % to 54 %), in the period 2005 and 2017. Portugal has the third lowest level of health satisfaction in the EU. Health satisfaction increases with a person’s level of education and decreases in proportion to their age. The gender gaps are much wider (to the detriment of women) among those with a low level of education (14 p.p.), lone parents (17 p.p.) and single people (22 p.p.). Life expectancy increased for both women and men between 2005 and 2016. Women on average live six years longer than men (84 years compared to 78 years).

Adequate access to medical care has slightly increased in Portugal. Around 4 % of women and 3 % of men report unmet needs for medical examinations (compared to 7 % and 4 % in 2005). Unmet needs have slightly grown for dental examinations, with 15 % of women and 14 % of men reporting unmet dental needs (compared to 12 % and 11 % in 2005).

Why is there no score for the violence domain?

There is no new data to update the score for violence, which is why no figure is given. Eurostat is currently coordinating an EU-wide survey on gender-based violence, with results expected in 2023. EIGE will launch a second round of administrative data collection on intimate partner violence, rape and femicide in 2022. Both data sources will be used to update the domain of violence in the Gender Equality Index 2024.

Unlike the other domains of the Index, the domain of violence does not measure differences between women’s and men’s situations; rather, it examines women’s experiences of violence (prevalence, severity and disclosure). The overall objective is not to reduce the gaps in violence between women and men, but to eradicate violence completely.

Data gaps mask the true scale of violence

Istanbul Convention: state of play

The Istanbul Convention is the most comprehensive international human rights treaty on violence against women and domestic violence. Portugal signed the Istanbul Convention in May 2011 and ratified it in February 2013. The treaty entered into force in August 2014.

A lack of evidence to assess violence against women

Violence at a glance

1. Femicide
   In 2018, over 600 women were murdered by an intimate partner, a family member or a relative in 14 EU Member States, according to official reports. Portugal does not provide comparable data on intentional homicide.

2. Physical and/or sexual violence 
   68 % of women who experienced physical and/or sexual violence, experienced it in their own home.
   3 % of lesbian women and 3 % of bisexual women  were physically or sexually attacked in the past five years for being LGBTI.
   Source: FRA’s Fundamental Rights Survey and LGBTI Survey II, 2019
3. Harassment
   25 % of women experienced harassment in the past five years, and 14 % in the past 12 months.
   9 % of women with disabilities experienced harassment in the past five years, and 3 % in the past 12 months .
   Source: FRA’s Fundamental Rights Survey, 2019
4. Cyberviolence
   5 % of women were subjected to cyber harassment in the past five years, and 1 % in the past 12 months.
   Among women aged 16-29, 16 % experienced cyber harassment in the past five years, and 7 % in the past 12 months. 
   Source: FRA’s Fundamental Rights Survey, 2019
5. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
   Between 5 % and 8 % of the 5 835 girls in the resident migrant population were at risk of female genital mutilation in 2011.
   Source: EIGE, 2018

Istanbul Convention: state of play

The Istanbul Convention is the most comprehensive international human rights treaty on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Portugal signed the Istanbul Convention in May 2011 and ratified it in February 2013. The treaty entered into force in August 2014.

A lack of evidence to assess violence against women

Femicide

In 2020, 788 women were murdered by an intimate partner, a family member or a relative in 17 EU Member States, according to official reports. Portugal does not provide comparable data on intentional homicide.

Source: Eurostat, 2020

Istanbul Convention: state of play

The Istanbul Convention is the most comprehensive international human rights treaty on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence. Portugal signed the Istanbul Convention in May 2011 and ratified it in February 2013. The treaty entered into force in August 2014.

EIGE/FRA survey

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) will carry out a survey on violence against women (VAW II) in eight EU Member States (CZ, DE, IE, CY, LU, HU, RO, SE), which will complement the Eurostat-led data collection on gender-based violence and other forms of interpersonal violence (EU-GBV) in the remaining countries. The use of a unified methodology will ensure the availability of comparable data across all EU Member States. Data collection will be completed in 2023, and the results will be used to update the domain of violence in the Gender Equality Index 2024 and its thematic focus on violence against women.

Falta de dados para avaliar a violência contra as mulheres

Um breve olhar sobre a violência

1. Femicídio
   Em 2018, mais de 600 mulheres foram assassinadas por um parceiro íntimo, um membro da família imediata ou outro familiar em 14 Estados-Membros da UE, de acordo com relatórios oficiais. Portugal não fornece dados comparáveis sobre o homicídio intencional.

2. Violência física e/ou sexual
   68 % das mulheres que sofreram  violência física e/ou sexual vivenciaram-na na sua própria casa.
   3 % das lésbicas e 3 % das mulheres bissexuais  foram física ou sexualmente atacadas nos últimos cinco anos por serem LGBTI.
   Fonte: inquérito da FRA sobre os direitos fundamentais e inquérito às pessoas LGBTI II, 2019
3. Assédio
   25 % das mulheres foram vítimas de assédio nos últimos cinco anos e 14 % nos últimos 12 meses.
   9 % das mulheres com deficiência foram vítimas de assédio nos últimos cinco anos e 3 % nos últimos 12 meses .
   Fonte: inquérito da FRA sobre os direitos fundamentais, 2019
4. Ciberviolência
   5 % das mulheres foram vítimas de ciberassédio nos últimos cinco anos e 1 % nos últimos 12 meses.
   Entre as mulheres com idades compreendidas entre os 16 e os 29 anos, 16 % foram vítimas de ciberassédio nos últimos cinco anos e 7 % nos últimos 12 meses.
   Fonte: inquérito da FRA sobre os direitos fundamentais, 2019
5. Mutilação genital feminina (MGF)
   5 % a 8 % das 5835 raparigas da população migrante residente estiveram expostas ao risco de mutilação genital feminina em 2011.
   Fonte: EIGE, 2018

A Convenção de Istambul: ponto da situação

A Convenção de Istambul é o tratado internacional de direitos humanos mais abrangente no que diz respeito à prevenção e ao combate à violência contra mulheres e à violência doméstica. Portugal assinou a Convenção de Istambul em maio de 2011 e ratificou-a em fevereiro de 2013. O tratado entrou em vigor em agosto de 2014.

Falta de dados para avaliar a violência contra as mulheres

Femicídio

Em 2020, 788 mulheres foram assassinadas por um parceiro íntimo, um membro da família imediata ou outro familiar em 17 Estados-Membros da UE, de acordo com relatórios oficiais. Portugal não fornece dados comparáveis sobre o homicídio intencional.

Fonte: Eurostat, 2020.

A Convenção de Istambul: ponto da situação

A Convenção de Istambul é o tratado internacional de direitos humanos mais abrangente no que diz respeito à prevenção e ao combate à violência contra mulheres e à violência doméstica. Portugal assinou a Convenção de Istambul em maio de 2011 e ratificou-a em fevereiro de 2013. O tratado entrou em vigor em agosto de 2014.

Inquérito EIGE/FRA

A Agência dos Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia (FRA) e o Instituto Europeu para a Igualdade de Género (EIGE) realizarão um inquérito sobre a violência contra as mulheres (VAW II) em oito Estados-Membros da União Europeia (CZ, DE, IE, CY, LU, HU, RO, SE), que complementará a recolha de dados liderada pelo Eurostat sobre violência baseada no género e outras formas de violência interpessoal (EU-GBV) nos restantes países. A utilização de uma metodologia unificada garantirá a disponibilidade de dados comparáveis em todos os Estados-Membros da UE. A recolha de dados estará concluída em 2023 e os resultados serão utilizados para atualizar o domínio da violência no Índice de Igualdade de Género de 2024 e a sua ênfase temática na violência contra as mulheres.

A lack of evidence to assess violence against women

Femicide

In 2021, 720 women were murdered by an intimate partner, family member or relative in 17 EU Member States, according to official reports. Portugal does not provide comparable data on intentional homicide.

Source: Eurostat, 2021

Violence at a glance

1. Intimate partner violence

   No data is available. Data on intimate partner violence will be updated in 2024 using Eurostat data, complemented by the survey on violence against women carried out by FRA and EIGE.
    

   Source: Eurostat, 2021
    

2. Sexual harassment at work

   No data is available. Data on sexual harassment at work will be updated in 2024 using Eurostat data, complemented by the survey on violence against women carried out by FRA and EIGE.
    

   Source: Eurostat, 2021

Istanbul Convention: state of play

The Istanbul Convention is the most comprehensive international human rights treaty on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence. Portugal signed the Istanbul Convention in May 2011, and ratified it in February 2013. The treaty entered into force in Portugal in August 2014.

The European Council approved the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention on 1 June 2023.

EIGE/FRA survey on violence against women

The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) will carry out a survey on violence against women (VAW II) in eight EU Member States (CZ, DE, IE, CY, LU, HU, RO, SE), which will complement the Eurostat-led data collection on gender-based violence and other forms of interpersonal violence (EU-GBV) in the remaining countries. The use of a unified methodology will ensure the availability of comparable data across all EU Member States. Data collection will be completed this year, and the results will be used to update the domain of violence in the Gender Equality Index 2024, with its thematic focus on violence against women.

Falta de dados para avaliar a violência contra as mulheres

Femicídio

Em 2021, 720 mulheres foram assassinadas por um parceiro íntimo, um membro da família imediata ou outro familiar em 17 Estados-Membros da UE, de acordo com relatórios oficiais. Portugal não fornece dados comparáveis sobre o homicídio intencional.

Fonte: Eurostat, 2021

Um breve olhar sobre a violência

1. Violência entre parceiros íntimos

   Não existem dados disponíveis. Os dados sobre a violência nas relações íntimas serão atualizados em 2024 utilizando dados do Eurostat, complementados pelo inquérito sobre a violência contra as mulheres realizado pela FRA e pelo EIGE.
    

   Fonte: Eurostat, 2021
    

2. Assédio sexual no trabalho

   Não existem dados disponíveis. Os dados sobre o assédio sexual no trabalho serão atualizados em 2024 utilizando dados do Eurostat, complementados pelo inquérito sobre a violência contra as mulheres realizado pela FRA e pelo EIGE.
    

   Fonte: Eurostat, 2021

A Convenção de Istambul: ponto da situação

A Convenção de Istambul é o tratado internacional de direitos humanos mais abrangente no que diz respeito à prevenção e ao combate à violência contra mulheres e à violência doméstica. Portugal assinou a Convenção de Istambul em maio de 2011 e ratificou-a em fevereiro de 2013. O tratado entrou em vigor em Portugal em agosto de 2014.

O Conselho Europeu aprovou a adesão da UE à Convenção de Istambul em 1 de junho de 2023.

Inquérito do EIGE/FRA sobre a violência contra as mulheres

A Agência dos Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia (FRA) e o Instituto Europeu para a Igualdade de Género (EIGE) realizarão um inquérito sobre a violência contra as mulheres (VAW II) em oito Estados-Membros da União Europeia (CZ, DE, IE, CY, LU, HU, RO, SE), que complementará a recolha de dados liderada pelo Eurostat sobre violência baseada no género e outras formas de violência interpessoal (EU-GBV) nos restantes países. A utilização de uma metodologia unificada garantirá a disponibilidade de dados comparáveis em todos os Estados-Membros da UE. A recolha de dados estará concluída este ano e os resultados serão utilizados para atualizar o domínio da violência no Índice de Igualdade de Género de 2024 e a sua ênfase temática na violência contra as mulheres.