Perspectives on Gender Equality

This edited volume examines the current representations of gender equality from a global perspective, alongside the themes of human rights and human development, while searching for an answer to the following question: How are rights to gender equality managed in a constantly changing world? Part one focuses on the human rights aspect of this question, incorporating the issues of law, policy, and culture, arguing that gender equality must be part of the full spectrum of human rights. Part two examines the broader themes of society, education, and family, examining women’s right to equality against the backdrop of a digitally dominated society. Part three considers the role of justice in gender equality at both state and local levels, arguing that access to and the application of justice are vital in advancing women’s rights and freedom from discrimination. This section also discusses access to healthcare, reproductive rights, gender violence, and human trafficking. Part four introduces real, practical actions that could help to achieve the equalities outlined in the previous sections, promoting universal education to accomplish gender equality for young people. The specific aim of this book is to provide both an academic and a political perspective on the issue of gender equality, while integrating the principles of ethics, law, and philosophy.

Rui Nunes obtained a Medical Doctorate degree in 1985 (Porto University) and a PhD in Bioethics in 1996 (Porto University). Concerning his professional activity, he is a Full Professor of Bioethics in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Porto, and he is the President of the Ethics Committee of this Faculty. He has been Director of the Master’s and PhD Course on Bioethics since 1998, Director of the Master’s and PhD Course on Palliative Care since 2009, and Director of the Post-graduation Course in Hospital Management since 2006. He is the President and Founder of the Portuguese Association of Bioethics, and he is a member of the National Council of Ethics for Life Sciences. He was President of the Regulatory Authority of Health, the first independent healthcare regulatory agency created in Portugal. He was also a member of the board of the European Health Management Association and of the International Society for Priorities in Health. He is the co-chair of the Ibero-American Network of Echo-Bioethics. In 2021, he received the Gold Medal of the Portuguese Parliament on Human Rights. In 2019, he received the title of Honoris Causa Professor from the University of Favaloro, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is the Head of the International Chair in Bioethics. His postgraduate activities have included the organization of many seminars, congresses, and workshops, namely, the National Congress on Bioethics (17 editions). He was the president of the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th World Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics & Health Law. He has published 30 books in Portuguese, English, and Spanish on ethical, social, cultural, and legal themes, and more than 350 full papers.

Guilhermina Rego is a health economist and full professor to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. She is also Founder of the Portuguese Association of Bioethics. Since 2007, she has organized the International PhD Program on Bioethics, a partnership between the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, the Federal Council of Medicine (Brazil), and the International Chair in Bioethics. She is the Director of the Master Course in Bioethics of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto and Vice President of the Ethics Committee of this faculty. She has published ten books and two hundred papers in different scientific and social areas. She is a member of the Governing Council of the International Chair in Bioethics. She has organized many seminars and congresses, namely, the Portuguese National Congress on Bioethics (seventeen editions). She was the President of the National Organizing Committee of the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th World Conference in Bioethics, Medical Ethics & Health Law.

Helena Melo is a Portuguese professor of Biolaw, with a Master’s and a Ph.D. in Law, and a specialty in Public Law. She is an Associate Professor at the University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal, EU. She is the author of ten books and more than fifty articles published in national and international journals in the areas of social equality, biolaw, and the right to health. She is the President of ABIO―the Association for the Study of Biolaw, and she is a member of the board of the Portuguese Association of Bioethics. She is a member of the National Council of Medical Assisted Procreation (Portuguese Parliament), a member of the Ethics Committee of the Nova University of Lisbon, and a member of the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Tropical Hygiene (Lisbon). She is also deputy-coordinator of the Racism Observatory of the Portuguese Government.

Sofia B. Nunes is a Portuguese economist that specializes in the field of equality and human rights. She obtained her Ph.D. in Gender Studies from the Faculty of Law of the NOVA University of Lisbon. She holds a degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto (FEP) and a Master’s in Public Administration and Management from University College London (UCL). She also works at the Mission Structure for the Promotion of Accessibilities (inclusion of people with disabilities under the Secretary of State for Inclusion of Portugal) and has worked at the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations Organization (UNECE) in the area of social and economic statistics. She is a member of the Portuguese Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia and also of several research centers such as Faces of Eve―the Women’s Studies Centre at NOVA University of Lisbon. She is the Head of the Bioethics and Gender Department of the International Chair in Bioethics. She was a member of the Organizing Committee of the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th World Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics & Health Law.

Ivone Duarte is a Portuguese psychologist and Associate Professor of bioethics for the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP). She is a Founder of the Portuguese Association of Bioethics. Since 2007, she has organized the International PhD Program on Bioethics, a partnership between the FMUP, the Federal Council of Medicine (Brazil), and the International Chair in Bioethics. She is a member of the Ethics Committee of the FMUP, and a member of the Ethics Committee of the University of Porto. She is a specialist in Ethics in the Revision Proceedings of the European Research Council (ERC). She has published three books and more than one hundred papers in different scientific and social areas. She is a member of the Governing Council of the International Chair in Bioethics. She has organized many congresses, including the Portuguese National Congress on Bioethics (seventeen editions). She was a member of the Organizing Committee of the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th World Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics & Health Law.