Aníbal Cavaco Silva

We need more women in Parliament and as political leaders because we are, and we want to be, a democracy and a society in which all citizens participate in all spheres of public life. This is not only a fundamental requirement of the principle of equality and justice but also an obvious imposition of the principle of protection of human dignity. Women have the right – and duty – to participate actively in political life at all levels of governance. This does not arise from the fact that women have different qualities or characteristics from men. Neither is it for women’s particular “characteristics” that they should be called upon to carry out political functions. It is, of course, because they are human beings. But is also because of their merit and their ability to perform tasks that, unfortunately, are still too often reserved for men. In recent decades, there has been remarkable progress towards equality and dignity, but there is still a long way to go. We must be aware of this, so that we can join forces to combat instances of discrimination which are unacceptable at the dawn of this new millennium