Costa's remarks came before a lunch to mark International Women's Day at the prime minister's official residence in São Bento, Lisbon, attended by 18 female figures relevant in Portuguese society, including the minister of the presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva.

The country's prime minister rejected the "theory that the dynamic of social evolution alone will resolve problems of gender inequality," adding that equality between women and men was "not a favour, but an advantage for everyone."

Costa also said the country could not be fooled into thinking that the "path has been concluded" or that the "example of the success of these women in their careers is a paradigm of Portuguese society."

Portugal faces three main challenges, Costa added, including the need to eradicate all forms of violence (in particular domestic and gender violence), a better reconciliation of the demands of family and professional life and combatting wage inequality between women and men.

Costa also pointed out that wage inequality was greater in professions with higher skill requirements.

While he said there was still a long way to go to achieve gender equality, Costa also pointed to the progress Portugal had seen since the Civil Code of 1977 had been revised, citing as an example the progress made in the presence of women journalists working in the media.

Among the 18 women personalities present at the event were the astronaut Ana Pires, artist Fernanda Fragateiro, director of the Gulbenkian Institute Mónica Bettencourt-Dias, chef Justa Nobre, art historian Filipa Lowndes Vicente, university professor Maria João Antunes, dancer Marlene Monteiro Freitas and chair of the journalists' trade union, Sofia Branco.