A cooperation protocol between the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality and the Regional Directorate for Equality of Opportunities was signed on Friday during the seminar “Mainstreaming for Equality of Opportunities in the Public Administration”  which is taking place in Angra do Heroísmo.

This document intends to reinforce the gender equality policy in the Regional Public Administration. 

“The Regional Public Administration should play a very important role in the promotion of gender equality, which represents a further step towards the modern Azores, a Region which is capable of enhancing its human resources, combining energies and determination in the defence of common goals,” defended the Vice-President of the Regional Government, who presided over the opening session of the seminar.

Sérgio Ávila stated that, currently, 65.8% of the Regional Administration workers are women and they are the ones who have more qualifications. According to these figures, 48% of women hold academic degrees whereas, in the same area, only 29% of men hold academic degrees.

However, the Vice-President reminded that “the promotion in modernity and gender equality should be put into practice in the role played by agents in decision-making processes and shared responsibility.” In fact, 25% of the Regional Public Administration workers who hold management positions are women and 47.2% middle management positions are held by women.

“The challenges of modernity also require the adoption of new strategies and policies to promote gender equality, thus enhancing and increasing the skills of our workers in a continuous process of sharing responsibilities and participating in decision-making processes,” stated the Vice-President of the Government.

Regarding the seminar taking place in Angra do Heroísmo, Sérgio Ávila expects that “the debate to be developed may contribute to the modernisation process of our Regional Administration by promoting citizenship and gender equality.”