Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Ninety-second session

Summary record of the 2192nd meeting

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, at 10 a.m.

Chair:Ms. Dettmeijer-Vermeulen (Vice-Chair)

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Seventh periodic report of Czechia

In the absence of Ms. Haidar, Ms. Dettmeijer-Vermeulen (Vice-Chair) took the Chair.

The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Seventh periodic report of Czechia (CEDAW/C/CZE/7; CEDAW/C/CZE/Q/7; CEDAW/C/CZE/RQ/7)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Czechia joined the meeting.

The Chair, welcoming the delegation of Czechia to the meeting, explained that some members of the delegation would be participating via video link.

A representative of Czechia, introducing his country’s seventh periodic report(CEDAW/C/CZE/7), said that the Convention served as a guiding principle for policymaking at the national level. The Government reviewed national and legal policy frameworks in the light of the Committee’s recommendations.

State authorities, the Office of the Ombudsperson, the Constitutional and Supreme Courts and representatives of civil society, trade unions and academia had provided input to the report, which had also been discussed by the Government Council for Gender Equality.

Recent legislative developments included the establishment, in July 2025, of the Children’s Ombudsperson, an independent role with a mandate to safeguard and promote the rights of children and to provide oversight in areas affecting their well-being.

A representative of Czechia said that the Government Council for Gender Equality continued to play a major role in setting the gender agenda for the Government. The Council and its committees and working groups comprised experts from different ministries, non‑governmental organizations, academia and other relevant entities, thereby ensuring broad expertise in the fields of women’s rights and gender equality, and regularly submitted recommendations to the Government. Work was under way to establish a committee on gender equality in health.

The Gender Equality Strategy for the period 2021–2030, the second long-term strategic framework in the area of gender equality, had been prepared in cooperation with civil sector organizations, including women’s rights organizations, social partners and representatives of academia. Those stakeholders were also involved in its implementation. The Strategy reflected the commitments contained in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and other international human rights obligations. It was based on an intersectional approach and on the cross-cutting principle of the role of men in promoting gender equality. Each of the eight thematic chapters of the Strategy included specific indicators to monitor and evaluate the progress achieved. Implementation of the Strategy was monitored by the Department of Gender Equality within the Office of the Government. The midterm review of the implementation of the Strategy had shown that 56 measures had been successfully implemented and 199 had been partly implemented.

A representative of Czechia said that all new legislation and policies submitted to the Government had to include a gender impact assessment. In recent years, Czechia had faced major challenges that had highlighted existing gender inequalities. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had placed a disproportionate burden on women, particularly in the areas of healthcare, social services and unpaid care work, while also exposing structural weaknesses in work-life balance and social protection systems. The arrival of refugees from Ukraine, most of whom were women, children and older people, had brought challenges related to access to employment, healthcare, childcare, education and protection.

During its presidency of the Council of the European Union, in 2022, Czechia had overseen the preparations for the accession by the European Union to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). The Convention had entered into force for the European Union on 1 October 2023.

A representative of Czechia said that the Government had been paying increased attention to gender equality in the labour market as substantial efforts were needed to overcome prevailing attitudes and gender stereotypes. A key development was the ongoing transposition of the European Union Pay Transparency Directive, which would strengthen the enforceability of equal pay for work of equal value and introduce new rights for employees.

Legislative changes were complemented by a broader policy framework consisting of strategies, action plans and targeted initiatives to address structural inequalities that affected women’s economic security throughout their working lives and into retirement. The Action Plan for Equal Pay for Women and Men 2023–2026 was the first comprehensive national effort focused specifically on closing the gender pay gap. Substantial financial support for equal pay measures, flexible forms of work and the expansion of childcare services was provided under the Employment+ programme, financed from the European Social Fund Plus and the National Recovery Plan. About 30,000 places in preschool childcare were available across the country.

Women’s participation in politics was a key area. In 2022, the Office of the Government had published a manual on how political parties could support the greater involvement of women in politics. The Office of the Government also organized regular cross-party network meetings, allowing female politicians to share their experiences and build networks. In the elections to the Chamber of Deputies held in October 2025, a record number of women had been elected as parliamentarians: women now held 67 of the 200 seats.

A representative of Czechia said that the elimination of gender-based violence was a high priority for the Government, which had strengthened the legal framework and support services for victims and survivors in line with international standards. For example, it had approved an amendment to the Criminal Code to redefine the offence of rape to ensure a sensitive approach to victims and fair prosecution for rape. In July 2025, the Domestic Violence Act had come into effect. The Act strengthened the rights of victims in civil and misdemeanour proceedings, extended from 10 to 14 days the length of a restraining order issued following an act of violence and required the police to confiscate any weapons from a person who was subject to a restraining order.

In 2024, a criminal court specialization had been introduced in district, regional and high courts in relation to offences against human dignity in the areas of sexual violence and crimes involving trafficking in persons.

In response to the persistence of violence against women, the Gender Equality Strategy had three strategic objectives: prevention, by challenging gender stereotypes and raising awareness of the different forms of gender-based and domestic violence, and their consequences, to reduce the level of tolerance towards them; improved accessibility of support services and specialized assistance such as shelters, crisis beds and counselling services for women who were victims of gender-based or domestic violence; and the introduction of systemic safeguards for addressing gender-based and domestic violence, by strengthening the competencies of relevant professionals through training, methodological support and improved interdisciplinary cooperation to ensure a coordinated response.

The Gender Equality Strategy was complemented by action plans for the prevention of domestic and gender-based violence, which were aligned with the three strategic objectives of the Strategy and covered legislative reform, public awareness campaigns and the enhancement of support services, among other things.

In June 2023, the Government had approved a proposal to ratify the Istanbul Convention. In January 2024, the Senate had voted against ratification.

A representative of Czechia said that the Gender Equality Strategy 2021–2030 included specific measures to support Roma women, including by promoting Roma children’s enrolment in education and enabling Roma women to pursue employment or further education. In 2022, the Government had established the position of Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs.

The working group on Roma women of the Government Council for Gender Equality was tasked with identifying the specific impacts of gender inequalities on Roma women and was responsible for making recommendations on enhancing the representation of Roma women in decision-making or advisory positions at the local level. A compensation mechanism had been implemented for survivors of unlawful sterilization, most of whom were Roma women.

Gender equality was a priority of the Government not only at the domestic level, but also at the international level, and it had been embedded into the strategic documents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Gender was mainstreamed into the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all humanitarian and development projects.

The National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 13/25 (2000) 2026–2030 was focused on strengthening the role of women in the area of peace and security. It was the third national document aimed at implementing the women and peace and security agenda and included actions under a set of specific objectives and measures, each with clear indicators, timelines and responsible institutions. The Plan was coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented in cooperation with several ministries, civil society organizations and the academic sector.

A representative of Czechia said that, despite the specific and ambitious measures taken by the Government to improve women’s rights and gender equality in Czechia, challenges remained. Women earned about 18% less than men, continued to be underrepresented in politics and decision-making positions, faced a lack of childcare facilities and were victims of gender-based violence. The Government planned to continue its efforts to achieve substantial gender equality and to focus on women facing intersecting and multiple forms of discrimination.

Articles 1–6

Ms. Tisheva said that she would like to receive links to the Czech translations of the Convention, the Optional Protocol and documents issued by the Committee. She asked for specific examples of, and case law relating to, the application of the Convention and the Optional Protocol by the courts and for information about mandatory training on the Convention and its Optional Protocol for magistrates, judges and prosecutors.

She asked why women brought to court so few cases of discrimination on the ground of sex and what obstacles they faced in doing so. She also asked which measures would be taken to improve women’s access to justice, including for Roma women and other vulnerable groups of women. She further asked whether the abolition of legal fees for bringing anti‑discrimination cases, including cases related to gender equality, was being considered.

Noting that although gender equality was enshrined in the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Anti-Discrimination Act, no definition or explicit prohibition of multiple discrimination existed in national legislation, she asked when such protection would be introduced.

A representative of Czechiasaid that the Czech translations of the Convention and Optional Protocol were available on the website of the Ministry of Justice. All general recommendations issued by the Committee were translated into Czech.

No obstacles existed to women filing anti-discrimination cases. The court fee for doing so was 1,000 korunas (CZK); while previous proposals by the Ministry of Justice to reduce it had been rejected by the Chamber of Deputies, they might be discussed again in the future. The possibility of an exemption from the court fee was provided for in the Civil Procedure Code. The presiding judge could grant a partial exemption upon request if the party’s circumstances justified it and if the claim was not arbitrary or manifestly likely to be unsuccessful. Full exemption from the fee was possible for particularly serious reasons. For plaintiffs unable to afford legal representation, the presiding judge could appoint a representative and the Czech Bar Association could, under the Act on Advocacy, appoint a lawyer who could provide legal advice and services.

The process was under way to transpose into domestic law Council Directive (EU) 2024/1499 of 7 May 2024 on standards for equality bodies in the field of equal treatment between persons irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, equal treatment in matters of employment and occupation between persons irrespective of their religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, equal treatment between women and men in matters of social security and in the access to and supply of goods and services. Under the current draft, which had not yet been approved by the Government, the Office of the Ombudsperson would be empowered to file a lawsuit on behalf of a person who had been discriminated against, represent a person in court proceedings or act as an amicus curiae in court.

A representative of Czechia said that, as of 2024, all district, regional and high courts had judges specializing in cases of violence against women and domestic violence. In line with the Government’s stated priorities, new rules on the training of judges had entered into force in July 2025. Under those rules, judges had to submit individual training plans, thereby ensuring specialization, including in domestic violence and violence against women.

A representative of Czechia said that judges received regular training on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, including relating to gender-based and sexual violence. The Ministry of Justice created summaries of the most important cases and published a quarterly newsletter that was distributed to all courts. Training was provided on the case law of the treaty bodies.

Ms. Tisheva said that she wished to know whether trade unions and non‑governmental organizations could bring cases of discrimination on the ground of sex on behalf of women and what steps the Government was planning to take towards ratification of the Istanbul Convention.

A representative of Czechia said that trade unions could represent persons bringing discrimination cases to court.

A representative of Czechia said that non-governmental organizations could also provide representation in such cases.

A representative of Czechia said that a decision on resubmitting the proposal for ratification of the Istanbul Convention had not yet been taken. Many provisions from that Convention had been incorporated into the Domestic Violence Act. Changes were also planned in relation to the implementation of the European Union directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence.

Ms. de Silva de Alwis said that she encouraged the State Party to bring the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 13/25 (2000) into line with the forthcoming addendum to the Committee’s general recommendation No. 30 (2013). She wondered how the National Action Plan complemented the State Party’s foreign policy and development cooperation. She also wondered how the State Party ensured women’s participation in peacebuilding and in survivor-centric approaches to justice in order to address impunity for gender-related crimes during and after conflict in countries to which it provided development assistance.

She wanted to know whether the courts used the Convention as an interpretive tool and whether it was justiciable in court. She also wanted to know what national gender machinery conformed to the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles) and whether the State Party would build a national gender machinery in line with that called for in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. She asked how the various agencies of the Department of Gender Equality, as well as the Office of the Ombudsperson, coordinated their functions and how they were funded and how the macroeconomic policies of the new Government would affect the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy.

Ms. Eghobamien-Mshelia said that she would like to know what proportion of the 368 measures in the Gender Equality Strategy were subject to temporary special measures and whether consideration had been given to the introduction of measures such as a ministerial-level gender monitoring or coordination group or a monitoring system to link gender performance with sectoral budget allocation and implementation.

She asked about the system for assessing gender performance and the impacts of temporary special measures and for information on how awareness of temporary special measures was being raised among public officials and the private sector and what training and accountability measures were planned in that regard.

She also asked whether a disaggregated data-collection system existed to inform the design and application of targeted temporary special measures across all sectors and all tiers of government and what specific regulatory and enforcement mechanisms, including incentives and sanctions, existed to improve sectoral temporary special measures in the public and private sectors.

A representative of Czechia said that the Gender Equality Department was responsible for the coordination of the gender equality agenda. The Department was under the auspices of the Prime Minister and coordinated the work of the gender focal points in all the ministries. The Department worked with the Office of the Ombudsperson to monitor the situation on the ground and relay recommendations to the Government. Project-based funding was used to improve the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy. Funding came from, among other sources, the European Social Fund Plus and the European Economic Area and Norway Grants.

A representative of Czechia said that, although the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 13/25 (2000) remained grounded in the four pillars of the women and peace and security agenda, it contained new features, such as an expanded gender perspective and a wider focus on conflict and post-conflict contexts to ensure that the country’s foreign policy, including its development and humanitarian assistance and cooperation, as well as migration and asylum policies, were gender-sensitive, addressed gender-based violence and met women’s needs.

The National Action Plan was focused on building a resilient and inclusive society in the context of current threats such as cybersecurity risks, radicalization, disinformation, the climate crisis and challenges related to refugee integration. In 2025, the methodology for mainstreaming gender equality and other cross-cutting priorities in development cooperation had been completed. It included checklists for each priority, assessment of which was required using the markers established by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Particular focus was placed on the prevention of violence, women’s participation in decision-making and women’s equal share in the benefits of development.

Czechia implemented development projects aimed at supporting the participation of girls and women in education and the labour market and humanitarian projects focused on preventing sexual and gender-based violence and on providing care for survivors of gender‑based violence, in particular in situations of forced displacement.

A representative of Czechia said that the revised definition of rape had entered into effect in January 2025. It was a consent-based definition rooted in the principle that “no means no”, which was a suitable principle for criminal law, while “yes means yes” was a good principle in other areas. Nevertheless, a person could express in any way, not only with words, that he or she did not consent to an act. The broad definition of defencelessness encompassed situations in which, for example, individuals were unable to consent because they were aged below 12 years, had a disability, had consumed drugs or alcohol or had experienced a freeze response.

A representative of Czechia said that the Office of the Ombudsperson had been designated as the national human rights institution. The process of its accreditation under the Paris Principles had been launched.

A representative of Czechia said that sex-disaggregated data were systematically used in all areas where such usage was permitted by law. Indicators based on such data were used to monitor progress in the Gender Equality Strategy. Ministries collected such data in employment, education, justice and social policies but some gaps remained, mostly in relation to intersectionality, for example, with regard to ethnicity in the health sector, owing to legal restrictions. Czechia published statistical yearbooks that contained sex-disaggregated statistics.

No mandatory gender quotas or any other temporary special measures existed for the private sector. A bill implementing the European Union Gender Balance on Boards Directive had been approved by the Government in 2024 but had not been passed by Parliament. However, some soft measures were included in the Gender Equality Strategy and were promoted during dialogues, meetings and workshops with private companies.

Ms. Tisheva asked how the State Party would ensure that the gender equality machinery had sufficient technical, human and financial resources over the subsequent two or three years. She also asked whether activities undertaken in cooperation with civil society would be funded from the State budget and how the State Party would ensure that gender equality, including related mechanisms, was adequately funded in the light of changing priorities in spending commitments.

A representative of Czechia said that no mandatory gender budgeting was included in the cycle of the adoption of the State budget and no specific indicator existed for gender equality allocations. Each ministry identified its own needs in relation to the promotion of gender equality policies and the Gender Equality Strategy. The financing of the Gender Equality Department mainly from external resources was not sustainable and discussions would be held on alternative arrangements. Currently, no linkages were in place between temporary special measures and regulations, permits and licensing in the private sector.

The Gender Equality Strategy set out temporary special measures for electoral codes. Proposals would be submitted on rules on the representation of women in candidate lists.

A conference with foreign counterparts had recently been held on gender budgeting, but the concept remained difficult to implement at the national level.

Ms. Toledo Vásquez said that she would like to know how the impact of the legislative framework and jurisprudence on discriminatory and sexist media content and advertising was evaluated. She wondered how the State Party was combating societal attitudes justifying or minimizing the seriousness of violence against women. She was particularly interested in measures targeted at men and boys.

Given that punishments handed down in cases of domestic or sexual violence were often unduly lenient, she wished to know how the State Party evaluated the content and impact of training for judges on gender-based and sexual violence and how it was planning to address the reported resistance – on the grounds that judicial independence might be at risk – to making such training mandatory for judges. The delegation might comment on any plans to extend the statute of limitations for sexual offences or to remove it for sexual offences against children.

She would be interested to know how the State Party was planning to increase availability of services for victims of gender-based violence and ensure nationwide coverage of and sufficient financial resources for such services.

She would welcome details of any measures the State Party was adopting to avoid excessive delays in the payment of compensation to women, in particular older Roma women, who had been subjected to unlawful sterilization. She wondered how many women with disabilities had received compensation and what measures had been adopted to guarantee access to compensation for women with disabilities who were living in institutions.

She wanted to know what steps were being taken to improve the collection, analysis and publication of data on femicides and on violence and hate crimes, including those committed online, against women who suffered intersectoral discrimination, such as lesbian, bisexual and transgender women, refugee women and Roma women.

Mr. Safarov said that he would like to know whether the State Party had considered ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. He wondered whether the State Party collected data, disaggregated by gender, age, ethnicity and country of origin, on cases of trafficking in persons reported and investigated, on prosecutions and convictions for trafficking in persons and on the sentences imposed on those convicted. He also wondered whether the State Party had exit programmes for victims of trafficking in persons and whether assistance, compensation, reparation and rehabilitation were provided to victims. Lastly, he wished to know whether cybertrafficking was covered in the policy on the prevention of trafficking.

A representative of Czechia said that the Advertising Regulation Act prohibited any form of discrimination, including sexism and discrimination on the basis of gender. A guide on compliance with the Act had been created for municipalities, which were responsible for assessing advertising.

A representative of Czechia said that sentencing decisions in specific criminal cases involving rape or other forms of sexual violence had led to broad societal debate. While comprehensive definitions of criminal offences were needed, it was equally important to ensure that law enforcement authorities and the judiciary, in particular judges, provided appropriate responses. Following the case of a man given a suspended sentence for repeatedly raping his underage stepdaughter, a law known as Lex Anička had been drafted. The law covered training for judges and the financing of non-governmental and governmental organizations providing support to victims of sexual violence. A mechanism had been introduced whereby monies paid in respect of financial penalties imposed in criminal proceedings were transferred to a specific account of the Ministry of Justice. The money could be used, inter alia, to provide compensation to victims in civil claims relating to the criminal conviction. At the end of every year, 10% of the amount remaining in the account was transferred to the Ministry of Justice to be disbursed as subsidies or grants to non‑governmental organizations working in the area of victim protection.

The statute of limitations for sexual offences against children was calculated from the time the victim turned 18 years old. The removal of the statute of limitations in such cases was not under consideration; however, it had been considered at the European Union level as part of discussions on a draft directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material. The situation might change upon adoption and transposition of that directive.

The gathering of judicial data was guided by European Union directives, such as the directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, which would be transposed into domestic legislation in 2027.

The Ministry of Justice had drafted a bill incorporating the provisions of Directive (EU) 2024/1712 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 amending the European Union Anti-Trafficking Directive. The bill had been approved by the Government and would enter into force in July 2026. Under the new legislation, trafficking in persons for the purposes of surrogacy, illegal adoption or forced marriage and knowingly using services provided by a victim of trafficking would be criminal offences. A clause on the non-prosecution of victims would be introduced.

A representative of Czechia said that Czechia provided specialized social services for victims of gender-based or domestic violence. There were around 17 intervention centres across the country, which provided crisis intervention, safety planning, counselling and legal advice. Approximately 39 crisis hotlines were available, providing round-the-clock support, counselling and immediate help in situations of acute danger. Czechia also had 210 shelters, 59 of which were specifically for victims of domestic violence. They provided safe accommodation, psychosocial support, social services and assistance in rebuilding independence.

The coordination of social services with the police, courts, healthcare providers and child protection mechanisms was needed to ensure the safety of victims and continuity of care.

A representative of Czechia said that CZK 180 million had been provided through the European Social Fund Plus to fund specialized social services for victims of gender-based violence.

A representative of Czechiasaid that the original deadline for submitting applications for compensation for unlawful sterilization had been January 2025 but had been extended to 2 January 2027. The Ministry of Health had set up an information line and provided support for applicants through information and templates on its website. Decisions on the eligibility of claims were made in administrative proceedings by the Ministry of Health. Negative decisions could be appealed to the Minister of Health.

While it had originally been estimated that 400 women would apply for compensation, the Ministry of Health had received 2,820 claims as of January 2026, of which approximately 1,127 had been approved, 600 had been rejected and 350 had been suspended. About 745 cases remained unresolved. The law had set out a time frame of 60 days from the submission of documentation to the decision; in practice, however, most applications took a few months to be processed, as a result in particular of the unexpectedly large number of applications and the need to obtain and evaluate archival documentation. Moreover, only one staff member had originally been assigned to process the claims, although that number had since been increased to five.

The Ministry did not keep statistics on the reasons for rejection or suspension of claims. However, the main reasons for rejecting an application were that the claim was not found to be justified or that the applicant had not remedied shortcomings in the application. Claims were also rejected if the sterilization had occurred outside the period specified by the law or outside Czechia. If information was missing from an application, the applicant was always asked to provide it within a specified time frame and the proceedings were suspended. If the applicant failed to meet the prescribed requirements or did not provide the information during the specified time frame, review of the claim was discontinued.

A representative of Czechia said that the issue of forced sterilization was addressed by the Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs and the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs and its committee on employment, health and social issues, which monitored the processing of applications for compensation and notified the Ministry of Health of problems related to the application process.

In April 2024, a programme had been launched to provide grants totalling nearly CZK 7 million to organizations providing assistance to applicants with their claims and conducting public education and information campaigns on the topic of compensation for unlawful sterilization.

On 10 April 2024, the Government had adopted a non-legally binding working definition of anti-Gypsyism, originally adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The adoption of the definition demonstrated the country’s willingness to address the issue of anti-Gypsyism, in line with its national and international obligations. Despite its non-binding nature, the definition served a significant educational purpose and courts, government bodies and academia could take it into account in the same way as other non‑legally binding definitions, such as the Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which Czechia had adopted in 2019.

A representative of Czechia said that femicide was not listed as a specific offence in the Criminal Code. However, the offence of homicide motivated by personal relationship was listed, and data on that offence were gathered; 86 cases had been recorded in 2023, 93 in 2024 and 85 in 2025. The victims had been women in about 50% of those cases.

A representative of Czechia said that much progress had been made in recent years on combating trafficking in persons. The National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking would be extended for another two years. Assistance to victims was available without discrimination under a special programme on support for and protection of victims of trafficking in persons. An interdepartmental coordination group allowed for cooperation between the police, non-governmental organizations and other ministries to combat trafficking in persons.

No statistics were available on children who were victims of trafficking. However, cooperation existed with non-governmental organizations that could provide specialized assistance to such children. The Ministry of the Interior undertook educational and awareness-raising activities on the subject of trafficking in persons, including activities focused on trafficking in children. Together with the police, it had organized nine regional round tables to bring together relevant professionals to discuss the identification of children who were potential victims of trafficking, as well as prevention of trafficking and the provision of assistance to victims.

A representative of Czechia said that the Foreign Police, the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy and the Refugee Facilities Administration, which operated asylum and return centres, were responsible for identifying potential victims of trafficking in persons. A clear referral mechanism existed under which all three bodies could refer persons to the police and specialized non-governmental organizations that provided counselling and support. Special residence permits were made available for victims who cooperated in the prosecution of trafficking in persons offences.

Regular training was provided to personnel of those three bodies. For example, officers of the Foreign Police would receive training from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on vulnerability, including trafficking, in 2026. The Department for Asylum and Migration Policy had adopted a new training strategy that included mandatory training on trafficking that was provided by the European Union Agency for Asylum. Staff of the Refugee Facilities Administration had received training on trafficking in 2025.

Accession to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was not considered necessary because sufficient protection for migrants and their families was already provided for under national law, European Union law and other international commitments.

Ms. Toledo Vásquez said that an effective strategy employed in other countries to detect gaps in coordination among social services, the police, healthcare providers and other authorities to prevent domestic violence had been to use reviews of homicides as a basis for wide-ranging, multisectoral reforms. She wondered whether Czechia was considering taking such an approach.

Ms. Tisheva said that, in the light of the number of women in the State Party who were murdered by an intimate partner, she wished to encourage the authorities to consider including the category of femicide in national statistics.

A representative of Czechia said that the requirement for judges to receive specific training, including on cases of domestic and sexual violence, was a direct result of the sentence passed in a specific case. The number of courses specifically focused on domestic and gender-based violence provided by the Judicial Academy was increasing each year.

At the end of 2025, a commission had been established at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to review cases involving the deaths of children to identify possible systematic gaps. That commission could provide a model for a similar body to review cases of femicide.

Czechia was in the process of implementing the European Union directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. The introduction of a definition of femicide in national legislation might follow from that implementation.

A representative of Czechia said that cybertrafficking was covered under measures to address trafficking for the purposes of sexual or labour exploitation. In 2025, 35 potential victims of trafficking had been identified, 27 of whom were men who had been trafficked for the purposes of labour exploitation.

A representative of Czechia said that the criminal law of Czechia contained no distinction between criminal offences committed offline and those committed online.

Although femicide was not listed as a specific crime in national legislation, if a murder was motivated by the gender or sex of the victim, that would be considered an aggravating circumstance and the penalty would be increased.

Articles 7–9

Ms. Draz said that the Committee had observed that women’s participation in high‑level legislative and executive decision-making, in the Foreign Service, in the private sector, in the national bank and in media management remained low in the State Party. She therefore wondered what measures were being taken to ensure sustainable gender balance in the executive branch; whether the State Party intended to move beyond voluntary measures and introduce formal legislative quotas, combined with a zipper system, to increase women’s participation in legislative bodies; what targets the State Party was implementing to increase women’s representation in high-level courts; and how the State Party ensured that judges received the training necessary to deliver gender-sensitive justice.

She wanted to know whether the State Party collected disaggregated data on the prevalence of cyberviolence against women in politics and what legislative and educational frameworks were being implemented to combat that violence and ensure that women could safely participate in political and public life.

She also wanted to know what action the State Party was taking to challenge perceptions, such as the idea that political ambition was a male trait, and whether any timelines existed for promoting a culture of zero tolerance for the gendered assumptions that undermined women’s political participation. The delegation might describe how the State Party ensured that Roma women, women with disabilities and young women could meaningfully participate in the design of policies affecting them and how it intended to improve the collection of disaggregated data to provide a full picture of the barriers to participation in public life faced by women from disadvantaged groups.

Noting that the percentage of ambassadors who were women had not exceeded 15% during the previous decade, she asked whether the State Party could provide evidence of the impact of its gender audits and the Gender Equality Strategy on women’s representation in diplomacy and whether those audits had contributed to a higher number of women in leadership positions in foreign affairs and international forums.

Mr. Safarov said that he would appreciate receiving data on the number of women and children who had been naturalized and provided with documents in 2024 or 2025 and on the number who were categorized as being of unknown nationality. He wanted to know what steps the State Party was taking to ensure family reunification for stateless persons and asylum-seekers. He would like information on the naturalization process for persons married to Czech nationals and the number of accepted naturalization applications.

He would be interested in having more information on the guarantees provided by the Government to ensure the protection of Ukrainian women and children, including with regard to documentation allowing Ukrainian women to work.

Lastly, he wanted to know what measures were being taken to ensure equality for women in nationality-related procedures and to safeguard the status of children.

A representative of Czechia said that the representation of women in decision‑making positions continued to be a challenge. No laws or policies existed on the gender composition of the Government and past attempts to include gender quotas in the electoral code had been unsuccessful. Under the Gender Equality Strategy, a proposal would be put forward on a zipper system or another form of quota. The Government would need to decide on the proposal. Historically, quotas had been perceived as symbolic rather than meaningful, and those views continued to shape political attitudes towards them.

A representative of Czechia said that the representation of women in higher courts was an important topic. An anonymous survey was being done on the career progression of female and male judges to assist in the identification of barriers to advancement, including gender-related aspects, and to supplement statistical data with information on career goals and motivation. The results of the survey would be evaluated in the first half of 2026 and would form the basis for discussions on the judiciary and on possible adjustments to the career advancement system.

A representative of Czechia said that gender equality in the diplomatic service was a priority for the Foreign Service. The State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a permanent member of the Government Council for Gender Equality, and the Ministry had a working group tasked with monitoring the implementation of the gender goals contained in the Gender Equality Strategy.

Gender parity had been achieved in the diplomatic service: of the approximately 2,000 employees of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 51% were women. Women currently held 43.5% of managerial positions and six out of nine high-level managerial positions at the Ministry. The number of female ambassadors had risen slightly from 17% in 2016 to 21% in 2025.

The key reason for the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles in diplomacy was the historically lower number of female applicants for managerial positions, in particular for postings abroad. That trend was often linked to challenges in reconciling family life with the demands of the Foreign Service. Specific measures taken by the Ministry in that regard included more flexible working hours, the use of telecommuting, the availability of childcare, reimbursement of certain school-related expenses and the provision of psychological support for employees and their family members.

Efforts were under way to promote gender balance in the selection process, including through the use of both feminine and masculine variants of job titles or of gender-neutral job titles, as well as ensuring gender-balanced composition of interview panels and selection committees.

A representative of Czechia said that legislation was being prepared to implement the European Union Gender Balance on Boards Directive. It included quotas for the largest listed companies.

Hate speech, hate crimes and cyberviolence towards female politicians were taken very seriously. Victims could seek redress through either criminal or civil proceedings. In addition to the policy framework that was in place, awareness-raising was conducted at high‑level events to which politicians, in particular those who had experienced such crimes, were invited.

A representative of Czechia said that an amendment to the Criminal Code had entered into force in January 2026 that had streamlined the approach to hate speech and hate crime and made it more coherent. The criminal offences of hate speech and hate crime, in particular incitement to hatred and defamation of a specific group of persons, had been specified, and the lists of protected groups of persons had become open-ended, so persons subjected to a crime on the basis of their belonging to a certain group were clearly protected. The lists had been supplemented by factors relating to disability, age, sex or gender and sexual orientation.

In addition, general and special aggravating circumstances had been introduced and could now be applied by judges in sentencing decisions for any criminal offence, including murder or rape, that had been motivated by hatred of a certain group. Upper sentencing limits had been increased when such circumstances were involved.

A representative of Czechia said that while no data existed regarding the participation of Roma women in politics, a methodology was being developed that would set methodological and legislative standards for the collection of anonymous data on ethnicity that could be disaggregated by sex.

The Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs was the Deputy Chair of the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs and a key actor in the implementation of the Strategy for Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation.

Roma women and their participation was to be one of the main topics for funding under the new programming period of the European Economic Area and Norway Grants.

A representative of Czechia said that gender-based persecution was assessed in all applications for asylum. Legal aid was provided in State-run centres and by non‑governmental organizations and was freely and easily available to asylum-seekers, whether they lived in asylum centres or private accommodation. As most Ukrainians who had arrived in Czechia since 2022 benefited from temporary protection status, few were seeking asylum. They were allowed to access the labour market and a high percentage of them were in employment, although large numbers of them were in roles that did not match their qualifications. Qualification recognition had been simplified and was free of charge.

The Ministry of the Interior could issue identity documents to Ukrainians, including children, who were not in possession of their national passport. However, that situation was quite rare, as most Ukrainians were in possession of their passports and the Ukrainian Embassy in Czechia was able to issue a variety of documents, and no problems had been reported regarding access to documents for Ukrainians with temporary protection status.

Statelessness affected very few people in Czechia. A legal procedure existed for the recognition of a person as stateless. Family reunification was available to stateless persons once they had been recognized as such. However, the need for family reunification in such cases was extremely rare; most recognized stateless persons were either alone or were already with their family.

Under the Nationality Act, no child would remain stateless. Special exceptions and procedures existed for international protection holders and stateless persons. Naturalization was available under less strict conditions for persons in either of those categories.

The data requested by the Committee on naturalization and unknown nationality would be collected and communicated to the Committee as soon as possible.

The meeting rose at 1.05 p.m.