In the latest Gender Equality Index published by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), the Czech Republic has fallen to 25th place out of the 27 European Union member states, signaling an alarming regression in gender equality over the past three years. This report sheds light on the persistent challenges the country faces in ensuring equal opportunities and conditions for women and men in various domains of life.

The Gender Equality Index evaluates nations across six key areas: work, money, education, power, leisure, and health. The Czech Republic achieved a score of 57.9 out of 100 points, notably lower than the EU average of 70.2, indicating a substantial gender disparity within the country.

The government’s human rights commissioner, Klara Simackova Laurencikova, expressed concern over the Czech Republic’s ranking, labeling it as “unflattering” and highlighting the deep-rooted gender inequality problem within the nation. The report noted that the Czech Republic’s progress in improving gender equality has lagged behind that of other EU member states, with the gap between the country and the EU average steadily widening over time.

In a span of a decade, the Czech Republic managed to increase its Gender Equality Index score by only 2.3 points since 2010, with meager progress of 0.7 points in the last three years since 2020. In contrast, the entire EU showed an average improvement of 1.6 points since the previous year, marking the most significant year-on-year progress since 2013.

The Czech Republic’s shortcomings in gender equality are pervasive, extending across all six categories evaluated by the index. The most glaring gender disparities are witnessed in the “women’s power” category, where the country earned a mere 30.2 points out of 100, placing it in the 25th position—a standing unchanged since 2020. In the “economic decision-making” category, the Czech Republic ranked 26th, signifying a significant gender gap in the representation of women in economic leadership roles.

The most notable improvement was observed in the “work” category, where the Czech Republic managed to increase its score by 1.8 points, earning a 24th position with 68.9 points. On the other hand, the “leisure” category saw the most substantial decline over the last three years, with the country dropping nine places to 26th.

Simackova Laurencikova acknowledged the long-standing nature of gender inequality in Czech society, noting that solutions would require sustained efforts over a more extended period. She pointed to forthcoming initiatives, including a new law against domestic violence and an amendment to the Labor Code aimed at greater transparency in pay, expressing hope that these measures would lead to an improved gender equality ranking in the years to come.

Sweden topped the Gender Equality Index with a remarkable score of 82.2. Among post-communist countries, Slovenia achieved the highest score, hovering around the EU average. Slovakia, at 59.2 points, secured the 23rd position, while the Czech Republic outperformed only Hungary (57.3) and Romania (56.1). Notably, Greece and Portugal showed the most significant progress over the past three years, each improving by 4.6 points, signaling a positive trajectory toward gender equality in these nations.

Article by Prague Forum