The COVID-19 crisis has had a differential impact on women and men in the Czech Republic and globally. Russia’s large-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, the ongoing global energy crisis, looming climate crisis and rising inflationary pressures all further imperil the prospects for an inclusive recovery from the pandemic. These crises, too, have gender-differentiated impacts; for instance, the impact of inflation on food and fuel prices can affect women differently due to gender gaps in employment, pay, pensions and so on.
In recent years, the Czech Republic has made several efforts to close gender gaps. However, these efforts have not managed to move the needle on gender equality, with noticeable gaps still seen in several areas. For instance, despite major progress in male and female employment, the gender employment gap remains high. While girls fare better in secondary education, gender differences persist in educational choices. Similarly, gender gaps exist in earnings, the work-life balance for mothers of young children, and women’s access to leadership roles in both public and private sectors. Gender-based violence also remains a significant issue. The Czech government has adopted strategic frameworks over the past two decades and further solidified an institutional structure to co-ordinate gender equality efforts across the administration. Yet, many roadblocks to adequate governance have been identified, including limited capacities, competencies and resources to pursue the country’s gender equality and gender mainstreaming goals.
Given this sluggish progress in reducing gender inequalities, hampered by the current regional and global situation, there is a need to adopt a two-pronged approach to promoting gender equality in the Czech Republic. This approach consists of both targeted measures and mainstreaming the gender perspective across government decision making.
To achieve this, the Czech Republic will need to reinforce governance structures and institutional capacities for gender-sensitive policymaking. Noting the main trends and gaps and the importance of accelerating efforts to improve gender equality in the Czech Republic, this report assesses four main areas in the governance of gender equality:
legal, policy and strategic frameworks
institutional set-up, roles and responsibilities
the use of tools and practices such as gender impact assessment, gender budgeting, gender-sensitive data and citizen participation
accountability and oversight mechanisms.
Based on these assessments, the report makes recommendations in each of the pillars to underpin better gender equality outcomes through gender-sensitive policymaking.
First, the report proposes formalising gender equality commitments legally by building on the existing policy and strategic frameworks for gender mainstreaming, such as the Gender Equality Strategy for 2021-2030, and linking them more strongly to the budget process. Doing so should improve the sustainability of their implementation. The government could consider enhancing the autonomy and ownership of line ministries to implement the strategy and integrating gender equality goals in strategic planning at the sectoral levels.
Second, the Czech government could consider institutionalising the role of the Government Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure cabinet-level representation for gender equality policies. The Gender Equality Department’s mandate and its location within the institutional set-up could be clarified legally. The department would also benefit from improved analytical capacities and resources for effectively co-ordinating gender equality efforts across the administration. Similarly, strengthening the mandate of the Government Council for Gender Equality to monitor and follow up on its recommendations would improve implementation. Systematic application of the gender focal point (GFP) standard in all ministries, backed with greater clarity of the role of the GFPs as providers of gender expertise, would help support the whole-of-government effort for gender equality and mainstreaming. Overall, there is a need for more sustainable financing and systematic training for this work.
Third, while gender impact assessments (GIA) have been introduced through a binding requirement, linking them formally to the GIA methodology would ensure quality control. The government could consider carrying out needs assessments and analyses to identify the most relevant sector-specific policy issues related to gender equality. Conducting audits for mapping the availability and use of gender-disaggregated data across sectors would improve evidence-informed policymaking. Formalising consultation and participation channels for civil society would improve stakeholder consultation in designing gender equality policy. Adopting a staged approach for the introduction of gender budgeting would allow time for institutional buy-in and building capacity.
Finally, the report recommends introducing various levels of accountability and oversight for the monitoring and follow-up of the government’s gender equality and gender mainstreaming goals. On the executive side, the roles of the Government Council for Gender Equality, the Legislative Council, the Regulatory Impact Assessment Board and the Cabinet are good candidates for taking on monitoring related to gender equality work, thereby fostering accountability. Reinforcing the corrective powers of the Office of the Public Defender of Rights would give its decisions greater impact. A more proactive role for the Parliament of the Czech Republic and greater parliamentary oversight, for example through an annual report on gender equality, could also be considered.
