The distinction, referring to the 2026-2027 biennium, recognizes the work developed by the municipality in integrating gender equality into public policies, the functioning of municipal services, and initiatives aimed at the community. The award ceremony will take place on October 26th, at 2:30 PM, at the Casa da Música in Porto.
This recognition reflects continuous intervention in promoting equal opportunities, eliminating barriers and inequalities, and preventing all forms of discrimination, through municipal policies and coordinated work with various partner entities.
Among the good practices that supported Matosinhos's candidacy is the implementation of the Municipal Plan for Equality and Non-Discrimination 2022-2025, which led to various awareness initiatives, such as the campaigns “Caring is Human. It Has No Gender”, “Profession Has No Gender. It Has Voice”, and “Women Who Inspire Matosinhos”.
The municipal intervention also includes the work developed by the Network for Intervention in Domestic Violence and Family Context, support for specialized victim support and protection services, in partnership with the Plano i Association, and participation in the Northern Regional Network for Support and Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking.
Internally, the municipality has focused on integrating equality into organizational practices through the Team for Equality in Local Life and implementing measures for work-life balance. Also noteworthy are the development of a guidance manual for social intervention professionals on gender equality and the municipality's integration into the iGen Forum – Forum of Organizations for Equality.
These initiatives are part of the National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination — Portugal + Equal 2018-2030, contributing to transversal municipal intervention.
The “Viver em Igualdade” Award is a biennial initiative by the CIG that distinguishes municipalities with good practices in integrating the gender perspective into local governance. Matosinhos received an honorable mention in 2018-2019 and won the award in the following three editions (2020-2021, 2022-2023, and 2024-2025), consolidating its journey in promoting a more egalitarian and inclusive society.
