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National Guidelines in
Slovakia - Government
Resolution No.207/ 2002
In March 2002 the Slovak government through the department of EU Integration,
Human Rights and Minorities has passed the second annual Action Plan for the
Prevention of All Forms of Discrimination, Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism
and Other Expressions of Intolerance (for 2002–2003 see Resolution No.207/2002
above). Ministries of Justice, of the Interior, of Defence, of Labour, Family
and Social Affairs, of Health and of Education are all subject to implement
directives issued by this initiative.
Resolution No.232/2001 - 'Concept on equal opportunities for women and men'
Through Resolution No.232, in March 2001 the Slovak government adopted a policy
paper drawn up by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family on equal
opportunities for men and women. The paper outlined the need for a systemic
integration of women's and men's mutual interests and priorities in all government
policies and recommendations for their implementation in practice. The first
report on the implementation of the programme was submitted in April 2002.
Some of the key issues addressed were:
a. the definition of the equal opportunities concept;
b. the insufficient participation of employers' and trade union organizations
in resolving equal opportunities problems;
c. the need for legal adjustments to equal opportunities in employment and
other areas of society and public life;
d. the insufficient institutional support for equal opportunities at all levels
of the state administration (i.e. monitoring, control and regulation to eliminate
discrimination);
e. the low level of interest in equal opportunities issues on the part of
the media, educational institutions and other organisations which influence
public understanding of gender equity
Some of the recommendations for the adoption of measures proposed:
a. elaborating and updating (taking a systematic approach) the current list
of jobs and workplaces which may not be filled by women, pregnant women, juvenile
workers and mothers in the nine months after childbirth;
b. enlarging the possibilities for women to take on leading positions, and
assessing the results regularly;
c. supporting the inclusion of measures to implement gender equal opportunities
in employment in the national tripartite general agreement and in collective
agreements. This will be done in cooperation with the Federation of Employers'
Associations of the Slovak Republic (AZZZ SR) and the Confederation of Trade
Unions of the Slovak Republic (KOZ SR);
d. in cooperation with AZZZ SR and KOZ SR, creating special employment conditions
for women and men who take care of children and dependent family members, and
facilitating their return to work through upgrading their qualifications, and
counselling on a possible transition to self-employment. Incentives are to
be provided for employers to create a range of possibilities for part-time
employment, home working, temporary work and other kinds of flexible working
patterns;
e. in collaboration with AZZZ SR and KOZ SR, ensuring the implementation of
equal pay for women and men for equal work and work of equal value;
f. in collaboration with KOZ SR, ensuring the monitoring of compliance with
the principle of equal pay for equal work and work of equal value;
g. supporting projects aimed at enhancing the position of women and men in
rural areas and women and men with reduced chances to enter the labour market;
h. supporting life-long education programs which involve gender and equal opportunities;
i. pursuing consistent observance of equal opportunities for women and men
in the preparation of new legislation on pensions insurance; and,
j. promoting the creation of and Ombudsman position in charge of the protection
of fundamental human rights and freedoms.
National Action Plan for Women (The Co-ordination
Committee for Problems of Women (CCPW))
CCPW drew up a National Action Plan for Women in 1997, as the
principal program document for the next 10 years. Eight priority areas have
been identified:
a. the implementation of equal position of the women in the family, employment
and society, which is enshrined in the legal system;
b. the creation of scope for personal choice in development life strategies
of women in the family, employment and the society;
c. to create conditions in order to eliminate economic disadvantages which
may lead to material distress of women;
d. to shape public opinion to respect equality of women and men;
e. to create conditions for the protection and promotion of women’s health;
f. to create conditions for the elimination of violence against women;
g. to create conditions for personal development and work satisfaction of women
with lesser development chances (such as, women living in the countryside,
women of Romany ethnic group unemployed women, women insufficiently prepared
for their mother’s role, women with disabilities);
h. to promote activities of the organisations involved in providing support
and developing women at national and international levels.
The CCPW also prepared the Preliminary Report of the SR to the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women (CEDAW) that was presented
in New York in June 1998.
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