The Council of Ministers approved in the first round, in March, the draft law on equal representation between men and women, which will impose the presence of at least 40% of women in all major political and economic decision-making bodies, from the central Government itself to the boards of directors of major companies. But Pedro Sánchez announced yesterday, during the rally he led in Santander, that he will extend the scope of application of this rule also to the constitutional bodies of the State, from the Constitutional Court (TC) to the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), in which the presence of women remains very much in the minority.
The head of the Executive defended parity in economic power and in political power: “Some will say that it is excessive; we say it is fair”, he warned.
The Council of Ministers will thus approve at its meeting today, in the second and definitive round, the first law of equal representation and balanced presence of men and women in decision-making bodies, which will also affect the constitutional bodies of the State. The rule, therefore, will also oblige the constitutional bodies to have equal representation. Once the draft law has been approved by the Central Government, its parliamentary processing will begin. Despite the tight timing, already in the final stretch of the legislature, the Executive is confident that it will have broad support from the groups, which will also allow urgent parliamentary processing.
Among the novelties incorporated into the text, in this second round of the Government, stands out the fact that it will affect constitutional bodies and institutions of institutional relevance. That is, the Constitutional Court, the Council of State, the Court of Auditors, the Fiscal Council and the General Council of the Judiciary.
In addition, the bodies in charge of ensuring compliance with the obligations of equal representation in listed companies and entities of public interest will be the CNMV and the Women’s Institute, respectively.
The new rule, as it was already established, will require that there be a presence of at least 40% of women in the central government, the boards of directors of large companies, electoral candidacies, through zip lists, professional associations and public recognition juries.
