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1. Intercultural awareness

2. Young people's rights

3. Key initiatives to safeguard democracy and prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism

Intercultural awareness

Interculturality and Migration

The Network of Schools for Intercultural Education (REEI) created in 2012 and jointly coordinated by the Directorate‑General for Education (DGE), the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) and the Aga Khan Foundation Portugal, aims to promote intercultural education, foster inclusive school environments, and support the integration and academic success of children and young people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Its objectives include developing whole‑school intercultural approaches, strengthening teachers’ competences, and supporting schools in implementing inclusive practices. The network currently brings together schools across the country and has achieved demonstrable improvements in intercultural school climate, collaboration between school communities, and dissemination of good practices in diversity management. The target group includes all pupils and education professionals, with particular focus on migrant and minority students.

AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) also provides training programmes in interculturality and migration, offered continuously since the mid‑2010s. These training sessions target citizens, public‑sector workers and professionals working in education, social services, health, local government and civil society organisations. Courses such as Intercultural Education for Young People (ages 10–16) and Intercultural Education at School (targeting teachers and education professionals) aim to promote reflection on diversity, improve intercultural competences, and strengthen inclusive educational practices. These programmes have reached thousands of participants nationwide and have contributed to improved awareness, better school–family communication, and more inclusive pedagogical approaches.

The “Not Just Numbers” educational project, implemented in Portugal since 2013 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the DGE, provides an EU‑wide educational toolkit on migration and asylum. Its objective is to equip educators with accurate and pedagogically accessible materials on migration, enabling young people aged 12 to 18 to develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of global mobility, human rights and asylum processes. The project has produced a teacher’s manual, multimedia materials and classroom activities that are widely used in Portuguese schools, contributing to a reduction in stereotypes and an increase in informed discussions about migration among young people.

The LEAD Project – Inform to Prevent, promoted by APAV and co‑funded by the European Commission, has been active in Portugal since 2021. Its primary objectives are to prevent youth violence, improve awareness of dating violence and bullying, and provide educators and youth professionals with evidence‑based materials for prevention and early identification. Target groups include young people aged 12–25, teachers, school staff and youth workers. The project has produced training sessions, awareness campaigns and pedagogical resources, and its results include increased reporting of harmful behaviours and strengthened school prevention policies.

The Dating Violence Prevention Repository, maintained by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) since 2020, compiles national prevention resources produced by public bodies, schools and civil‑society organisations. Its objective is to centralise and facilitate access to validated materials on dating violence prevention for schools, municipalities and social organisations. The repository is updated several times per year and is used as a reference by educators and youth workers across Portugal. Its target audience includes teachers, psychologists, parents and youth professionals.

The Minimum Requirements Guide published by CIG in 2020, establishes quality standards for prevention programmes addressing gender‑based violence. The guide aims to ensure that interventions are evidence-based, age‑appropriate, and grounded in equality and human rights. Target groups include educators, programme designers and organisations implementing prevention activities. Its uptake has contributed to standardising prevention methodologies and improving the quality and consistency of nationwide prevention efforts.

Every year since 2018, CIG promotesValentine’s Day campaigns targeting young people aged 12 to 25. These campaigns aim to raise awareness about dating violence, challenge harmful stereotypes and promote respectful, non‑violent relationships. The campaigns include multimedia content, social‑media outreach and school‑based initiatives. Their impact has been visible in increased engagement from schools and youth groups, and rising demand for workshops and prevention sessions.

The National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence (RNAVVD) has operated nationwide since 2005 and provides comprehensive support services — including shelters, emergency units, counselling and psychological support — free of charge. In addition to supporting adult victims, the network implements prevention initiatives targeting young people in schools and youth organisations. Coordinated by CIG in partnership with the Institute of Social Security and local authorities, the RNAVVD’s objectives include preventing revictimisation, increasing safety and awareness, and ensuring coordinated responses to violence. Recent results include the expansion of specialised services for children and young people and increased reporting and referrals through school‑based prevention actions.

Young people's rights 

The National Commission for Promotion of Children and Young People's Rights and Protection (CNPDPCJ)

As part of a project funded under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) and the Operational Programme for Technical Assistance (POAT), the National Commission for the Promotion of the Rights and Protection of Children and Young People (CNPDPCJ) developed and presented in 2013a comprehensive set of Guidelines for responding to situations of violence or danger. These were produced under a cooperation protocol with the Institute of Social Security (ISS, I.P.) and the Generalitat Valenciana’s Ministry of Social Welfare.

The guidelines are tailored to the specific needs of professionals across key sectors and are designed to promote a coordinated, informed, and rights-based response to situations involving children and young people at risk. The materials include:

• Guidelines for social action professionals;

• Guidelines for education professionals;

• Guidelines for security forces professionals;

• Guidelines for health professionals.

These resources aim to ensure a shared understanding and consistent practices across institutions, grounded in the legal and social frameworks of child protection in Portugal

National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination (ENIND) 2018–2030

The National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination – Portugal + Equal (ENIND), approved by the XXI Constitutional Government through Council of Ministers Resolution No. 61/2018, establishes equality and non-discrimination as fundamental pillars for sustainable development and the full realisation of human rights in Portugal. This strategic framework aligns with European and international commitments, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention. The strategy includes several youth‑specific dimensions. ENIND integrates targeted measures for children and young people across its three Action Plans, particularly in the areas of education, prevention of gender‑based violence, and non‑discrimination. Young people are identified as a priority group in school‑based interventions, awareness‑raising campaigns, and prevention programmes addressing dating violence, bullying, and SOGIESC‑based discrimination. These measures aim to promote equality, strengthen rights awareness, and foster inclusive environments within formal and non-formal education settings.

ENIND is structured around six strategic objectives and is operationalised through three National Action Plans for the 2023–2026 period:

• National Action Plan for Equality between Women and Men (PAIMH);

• National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (PAVMVD);

• National Action Plan to Combat Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sexual Characteristics (PAOIEC).

These plans aim to consolidate progress and promote transformative equality across all sectors of society.

Education and Youth Engagement

The Guidelines on Gender and Citizenship Education, developed by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) and validated by the Directorate-General for Education (DGE), are recognised by the Council of Europe as a best practice in promoting education free from gender stereotypes.

The Guidelines set out the national framework for integrating gender equality, human rights, and non‑discrimination into school curricula. They define the objectives, pedagogical principles, and expected outcomes for promoting gender‑responsive and inclusive educational practices. Their core objectives include: preventing gender stereotyping in learning environments; strengthening pupils’ understanding of equality, citizenship and rights; and supporting schools in adopting whole‑school approaches to inclusion. The Guidelines target children and young people in compulsory education, as well as teachers, school leaders and education professionals responsible for implementing citizenship education. Developed by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) and validated by the Directorate‑General for Education (DGE), they were officially issued in 2014 and remain the most recent national reference framework in this field.

Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence

PAVMVD (Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence) includes targeted measures for youth under Strategic Objective 1, which seeks to eliminate social tolerance of gender-based violence and foster a culture of non-violence, equality, and human rights. Key actions include:

• Integrating the topic of violence against women and domestic violence into the National Citizenship Education Strategy (ENEC).

• Developing and scientifically validating a structured primary prevention programme for all educational levels.

• Strengthening the capacity of the social economy sector to prevent gender-based violence.

• Enhancing the National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence, including through inter-agency protocols with social services and child protection commissions.

• Promoting the Guide to Minimum Requirements for the Development and Implementation of Primary Prevention Programmes and the Guide for Professionals Working with Children and Young People, both launched in 2022.

• Funding prevention initiatives and promoting the Dating Violence Platform.

• Establishing a quality seal for awareness and prevention campaigns.

Also, under the National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (PAVMVD), Strategic Objective 4 focuses on enhancing the qualifications of professionals and the effectiveness of services involved in responding to gender-based violence. This includes:

• Awareness-raising initiatives within the Safe School Programme, specifically addressing domestic and dating violence among young people 1.
• Specialised training on dating violence for professionals across multiple sectors, including child and youth protection, justice, health, social security, employment, education, law enforcement, and the National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence (RNAVVD).
• Capacity-building on online violence, with a focus on image-based sexual abuse targeting women and girls, and the prevention of online hate speech.

Highlighted Measures

Measure 217 – Specialised Support for Children Orphaned by Domestic Violence

This measure establishes a specialised intervention programme for children and young people orphaned as a result of domestic violence. The programme ensures immediate, medium-, and long-term psychological and social support following the homicide of a parent.

The RNAVVD currently comprises:

• 140 care structures;
• 38 shelters;
• 25 emergency accommodation units;
• 35 psychological support teams specifically for children and young people.

In 2024, approximately 50% of sheltered individuals were under 18, accompanying their mothers for safety reasons. The Psychological Support Responses (RAP), launched in 2021, served 13,745 children and young people in 2024 alone.

From 2025, each shelter will receive €5,000 in financial support to develop recreational and educational activities for children and young people in their care.

Within the framework of the National Action Plan for the Prevention and Combat of Discrimination on the Grounds of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC), the following measures are being implemented for the period 2023-2026:

• Measure 262 – Training and Awareness-Raising for Young People. This measure involves the delivery of training and awareness-raising sessions targeting young people in both formal and non-formal educational settings, including youth and student movements. These sessions are coordinated by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ) and the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG), aiming to foster inclusive attitudes and prevent discrimination.
• Measure 315 – Awareness Activities in Schools under the Safe School Programme. As part of the Safe School Programme, over 2,000 awareness-raising sessions are conducted annually by law enforcement agencies in schools across the country. These sessions focus on citizenship and non-discrimination, with a specific emphasis on SOGIESC-related issues.
• Measure 317 – Addressing SOGIESC-Based Bullying. This measure promotes information and awareness initiatives on bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and sex characteristics. The target audiences include teaching and non-teaching staff, students, family associations, and professionals in child and youth protection. These initiatives are organised by the Directorate-General for Education (DGE) and aim to build a safer and more inclusive school environment.
• Measure 318 – Dissemination of Good Practices in Schools. The DGE also coordinates the annual collection and dissemination of good practices implemented by schools to prevent bullying against LGBTI+ children and young people. These practices are compiled into a national database, which is widely shared to encourage replication and innovation in inclusive education strategies. 
• Measure 319 focuses on the development and implementation of targeted mechanisms to prevent and address bullying based on SOGIESC among children and young people living in residential care under child protection measures.

Key initiatives to safeguard democracy and prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism

Online and offline No Hate Speech Youth Campaign

Portugal has participated in the No Hate Speech Youth Campaign since 2013, following the launch of the Council of Europe campaign in 2012. Coordinated nationally by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ, I.P.), the campaign has been implemented continuously through annual cycles, combining both online and offline activities aimed at combating hate speech, xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance. Key outcomes include national and regional awareness‑raising sessions, thematic seminars, school‑based digital literacy workshops, and regular participation in the European Action Day against Hate Speech. Over the years, the campaign has strengthened youth engagement in human‑rights promotion, increased visibility of online safety issues in schools and youth organisations and fostered closer cooperation between public authorities and civil‑society actors working to prevent discrimination and intolerance.

Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism

Since 2015, Portugal has a National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, in response to the guidelines of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Council of Europe, of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and of the constitutional principles of the Portuguese State, regarding the policy of combating terrorism in the European Union.

The National Strategy on Citizenship Education conceived by the Government, aims to strengthen democratic values, human rights and equality within the education system. The Strategy has been in force since the 2017/2018 school year, when its implementation formally began across all public schools. It seeks to ensure that citizenship competences are integrated into the curricula of all levels of education, promoting respect for diversity, gender equality, human rights, sustainability and civic participation.