The Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão was honoured by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality with the ‘Living Equally’ award, the mayor of the municipality, Mário Passos, said today.

The announcement was made this Tuesday, during the announcement of the winners and presentation of the ‘Prémio + Igual’ (+ Equal Award), promoted by the municipality, to companies and IPSS in the county that have distinguished themselves in terms of promoting gender equality in labour, employment and social training. The first ‘Prémio + Igual’ was awarded to Vieira do Castro, followed by ROQ and the Lameiras Residents' Association, respectively. Continental received an Honourable Mention in this first edition of the awards.

‘As we all know, equality is a necessary condition for social cohesion,’ said the mayor. ‘Famalicão has been on a fruitful path in terms of public policies aimed at equality,’ he added. Receiving the ‘Prémio + Igual’ therefore means that ‘we are to be congratulated and are on the right track’.

We awarded this prize ‘so that we can highlight and emphasise the good practices of these institutions and [at the same time] infect others’ so that everyone can work towards promoting equality,’ he added.

In the week in which it announces the winners of the ‘Prémio + Igual’ (+ Equal Award), the municipality is also honoured with the ‘Viver em Igualdade’ (Living Equally) award for demonstrating good practices in terms of integrating citizenship, gender equality and non-discrimination into its operations and the activities it organises. 

This is the second time that Famalicão has been recognised as one of the best places to live in equality. The municipality was honoured for the first time in 2018, in the 4th edition of the awards. In this 7th edition of the awards, in addition to Famalicão, another 60 municipalities were recognised - 57 town halls, two inter-municipal communities and one parish council.

It should also be remembered that the ‘Prémio + Igual’ - part of the Municipal Plan for Equality and Non-Discrimination, presented by the Famalicão municipality in 2022 - rewards organisations in the municipality that stand out for developing exemplary policies and good practices in promoting gender equality in work, employment and vocational training and for adopting principles and measures to reconcile professional, family and personal life.