At stake in this Referendum:

• Changes in abortion law to make abortions within 10 weeks of pregnancy legal for all women in Portugal.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Aníbal António Cavaco SILVA
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES
• Assembly: Portugal has a unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) with 230 seats.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• Referendum on legalization of abortion for all women until the tenth week of pregnancy* Do you agree that abortions, carried out in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, with the woman's consent, in a legal medical establishment, should no longer be illegal?
   

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 10,542,964 (2007)
• Registered Voters: 9,085,339 (January 2006)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 5,459,327 (2007)

·         Is Portugal a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (24 April 1980)

·         Has Portugal ratified CEDAW: Yes (30 July 1980)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 49 (following the 2005 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 43 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Portugal a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Portugal ratified CRPD: Yes (23 September 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 1,581,444 (est.)