Women and children do not benefit from the federal budget, according to Member of Parliament (MP) Virgilio da Costa Hornai.
The Commission F (health, education, culture, veterans’ affairs and gender equality) president said rural women and children in particular were being ignored by the government.
“It’s okay in the city but it is necessary to pay attention to women in rural areas by providing programs that will bring them positive changes,” he said.
He said the commission intended to examine ministerial gender policies under the 2015 budget.
Parliamentary Women’s Group president Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares said only urban residents had access to development initiatives.
“There is no clean water in remote areas, health facilities are unavailable, the quality of schools is poor and roads are in poor condition,” she said.
She called on the government to put more focus on rural areas in 2015.
Secretary Of State for the Promotion of Equality Idelta Maria Rodrigues called for all ministries to create gender-sensitive policies.
“It is necessary to continue the call for focus on women because they have an important role to play in our national development,” she said.
The State Secretariat gives awards each year to those ministries which consider gender relations in their policies and make efforts to promote the participation of women in civil life.
