A FOUL-MOUTHED, sexist police officer called Torrente is the star of a series of films that have been a massive success in Spanish cinemas in recent years.

Spaniards claim to laugh at the vulgar antics of this famous, macho Iberian, but at the same time most would admit to knowing a few Torrentes in real life.

In a country where men earn on average 40 per cent more than women, the era of the Latin macho man appears far from over.

Yet a new law, which will come into effect this year, aims to close the gap between the sexes at work and make Torrente and his like a thing of the past.

It will grant up to two years’ maternity leave and make discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy a legal offence.

It will also reverse the burden of proof so that the accused must demonstrate that he is not guilty instead of the other way round.

Men must show an “acceptable basis” for discrimination against women.

The law bans direct and indirect sexual harassment, which will be “severely” punished with fines.

Women must make up between 40 per cent and 60 per cent of the boards of all major companies, under the new legislation. The same also applies to candidates’ lists in elections.

Spain’s Socialist Government has said that in awarding lucrative public contracts it will favour companies who have made the greatest effort to implement the law.

At the pinnacle of the Spanish business world, there is a small but privileged group of empresarias, or businesswomen. Ana Botín, the head of Banco Banesto and the daughter of Emilio Botín, whose Banco Santander bought Abbey National, heads this group.

She is followed by the billionaire sisters Esther and Alicia Koplowitz, who together have a majority share in the construction company Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas.

For most women, the picture is very different. The average female is salary €15,700 (£10,820) while men earn €22,100.

However, although the new law should be welcomed by most women, it has met with criticism from an expected quarter. Carolina Sanchiz, director-general of Panda Software España, a company that makes anti-virus computer programs, said: “In the long run, positive discrimination may be prejudicial for women if directors of companies just start filling quotas, not looking for professional ability.”