The document discusses women's participation in politics at the local level in Spain. It notes that women's representation in political parties and government has increased over time, reaching 37% in municipal elections in 2007. While progress has been made, representation remains uneven across areas and parties. For example, only 30.77% of cabinet positions in 2011 were held by women. The document also outlines best practices for promoting gender equality and women's participation from legislation in the Valencian region of Spain.

1. Miguel Mares Garcés
Ayuntamiento de San Antonio de Benageber
miguelmaresgarces@gmail.com

2. Participation in policy
Participation of women at Local Level
Representation of women in Political parties
and National Government : Situation today
Best practices at Regional level

3. Political participation
would be all intentional activity that develops a person to try to
influence political affairs.
Anyone who gets involved, both collectively and individually, to
change and influence the reality in which he lives, is making policy.

4. Informal participation and Participation in formal environment
Moreover, formal participation is the right of women to represent and be
represented, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter
of the United Nations, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women.
With the restoration of democracy, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 art.23
establishes not only equality of women before the law, marriage and
employment, but the principle of positive action to compensate for the real
inequality.

5. In the field of representative democracy, until 1986
the deputies and councilors were 7%.
From that year the Left parties took models in their
statutes that had been so successful in the
Scandinavian countries, and the number of elected
women grew exponentially, also pulling the
opposing parties fees, averaging 37 % in 2007, the
year in municipal elections for the first time applied
the Equality Act requiring the inclusion of 2 or 3
women in each /five nominations.

6. It a positive data that Municipalities under 5.000 inhabitants incresed in 10 points the
participation –from 26,8 to 35,9%-

7. 39% / 60%
Lidership & political career
Age and Education
The most feminized departments at local level are
Equality of Women (91%) and social services (38%).
Planning, Environment and in municipal governments,
there is a respective 17, 28 and 22% of women.
Gender in the media:
+photos
+ headlines
+ assertive verbs
while for women more reflective or passive forms are used

8. The participation of women in the various fields of political power has
increased notably in Spain in recent years.
The Organic Law 3/2007 of 22 March for effective equality of women
and men, devotes special attention to the promotion of the principle
presence or balanced composition, understood as the presence of women
and bodies and men in positions of responsibility, so that the people of
each sex not exceed sixty percent or less than forty percent.
The policy areas in a balanced presence that currently occurs between both
sexes are very small, and there is a great variability depending on the
political body considered.
The presence is very low in some constitutional bodies and balanced in
the case of most autonomic assemblies.

9. Information on the percentage of women in positions provides executives of
the major political parties and the percentage of women in the government
of Spain, since 2005.
Women in management positions
Percentage of women and men in executive positions of the main political
parties
. The development of information corresponds to the Women's Institute, from
the
data provided by each of the political parties.
Women in Government
Percentage of women holding various ministerial portfolios in the National
Government.
Source: Instituto de la Mujer. Ministry of Healh, social services and equality.

10. In July 2013, the percentage of women in executive positions set of seven
analyzed political parties was 37.2%.
Analyzing each party individually, taking into account the criterion of
balanced representation of the Equality Act, in 2011 the parties met
this criterion were Izquierda Unida and the Spanish Socialist Workers Party.
Convergence and Union (CiU) with 19.2% in its National Committee and ERC
Executiu LeftRepublican Catalonia with 24.4% in its National Executive Committee
were matches with less feminine presence.
The presence of women in the National Executive Committee of the Popular Party was
36.9%.

13. As regards the participation of women in government, it should be
noted that after the general election in November 2011, four women
occupy as many portfolios
ministry in the Government of the People's Party which represents a
female presence in the Council of Ministers of 30.77%.
Ministerial portfolios that have a female head are:
- Ministry of the Presidency, Vice Presidency and Government
Spokeswoman
- Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality
- Ministry of Public Works
- Ministry of Employment and Social Security

15. Most significant references in legislation
of the Spanish Regions:
Law 9/2003 of 2 April for the equality of women and men of the
Autonomous Community of Valencia:
Article 11 says that the Council of the 'Generalitat favor the presence women
on nominations to the Valencian Corts by political and electoral processes.
Article 12: "The election of the Government grants recognized by law is
increased by 10% for the seats won by women, (compatible with the
provisions of the Valencia Region Electoral law )
The same percentage applies in the subsidy for each of the votes obtained by
the candidates that fit the provisions of the previous article of this law.

16. to create advocacy for equality is a formula for strengthening the commitment
made in the eradication of gender discrimination and the development of​​
citizenship rights related to equal opportunities between women and men.
Article 42 states that "the Government shall ensure the principle of equality in the
field of advertising in social media in public ownership, and therefore has
specific advice Observatory sexist communication of Valencia."
Article 50 is dedicated to the 'Valencian Council of Women "as a body to promote
the participation of women in political life.
Article 51 specifies that "with the coming into force of this Act the Ombudsman
for Equality is created in order to monitor compliance with the provisions
thereof."