Regional Government launches awareness-raising campaign on gender equality - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, chaired today the presentation of the "Tease Equality, Make a Difference!" campaign, which falls within the 1st Regional Plan for the Promotion of Equality and Non-Discrimination in the Azores (PRINDA).

This campaign aims to promote equality among women and men in the community, helping to deconstruct gender stereotypes, especially those relating to gender roles associated with occupations, household chores and family care.

PRINDA consists of five strategic axes aimed at promoting equality among men and women as well as preventing and fighting discrimination based on factors such as sexual orientation, age, ethnicity and religion, among others. 

Since it began in 2023, PRINDA has already organised 186 awareness-raising actions on equality among men and women; 17 awareness-raising actions on the influence of gender stereotypes on occupational choice; 53 awareness-raising actions on discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sexual characteristics; 97 awareness-raising campaigns on other forms of discriminatory violence (based on age, ethnicity and religion, for example).

It also celebrated various dates, including International Equal Pay Day, Women's Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day, International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, International Day of Older Persons and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, through awareness-raising activities, seminars, webinars and training cycles.

A reference document on Equality and Citizenship was also created for preschool primary prevention that will be applied in the 2025/2026 school year. Additionally,  various awareness-raising materials were drawn up for distribution at training sessions organised by the different partners and distributed to the community in general.

Several regional campaigns were also carried out on various subjects - all of which are still necessary given that there is, for example, ongoing segregation in the educational choices made by boys and girls: girls favour education, health and social protection courses; boys opt for engineering, manufacturing and construction courses. 

For Mónica Seidi, this proves that "there is still a long way to go."
The campaign launched today consists of a video, billboards, posters and press publications. It demonstrates the Regional Government's commitment to developing the Plan, following national and international guidelines regarding Equality and Non-Discrimination, namely the European Strategy for Gender Equality 2020-2025, the National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination - Portugal + Igual, and other instruments and recommendations that Portugal is legally committed to, through the creation of PRINDA.

Institutions such as Novo Dia, UMAR, APAV, ACEESA, Crescer em Confiança Association, APF-Açores and AIPA are collaborating in the implementation of the Plan. The Local Networks and Centres for the Prevention and Fight against Domestic Violence are also important partners in implementing various actions and pursuing these goals.

"We will continue to carry this message of triggering a reaction in others so that people do not become complacent," stated Mónica Seidi.