* Adopted by the Committee at its ninety-second session (2–20 February 2026).

Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of Czechia *

1.The Committee considered the seventh periodic report of Czechia (CEDAW/C/CZE/7) at its 2192nd and 2193rd meetings (see CEDAW/C/SR.2192 and CEDAW/C/SR.2193), held on 11 February 2026.

A.Introduction

2.The Committee appreciates the submission by the State Party of its seventh periodic report. It also appreciates the State Party’s follow-up report to the previous concluding observations of the Committee (CEDAW/C/CZE/CO/6/Add.1). It welcomes the oral presentation by the delegation and the further clarifications provided in response to the questions posed orally by the Committee during the dialogue.

3.The Committee commends the State Party on its distinguished delegation, which was headed by the Director of the Gender Equality Department, Radan Safarik, and included representatives of the Gender Equality Department and the Department of Human Rights and Equal Treatment within the Government Office, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, as well as the Deputy Permanent Representative of Czechia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Gabriela Boiteux, and other members of the Permanent Mission.

B.Positive aspects

4.The Committee welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in 2016 of the State Party’s sixth periodic report (CEDAW/C/CZE/6) in undertaking legislative reforms, in particular the adoption of the following:

(a)Act No. 78/2025 Coll., amending the Civil Code by introducing a unified definition of domestic violence and related changes, in 2025;

(b)New section 191a (Misuse of identity for the production of pornography) of Act No. 40/2009 Coll., the Criminal Code, making creating or distributing non‑consensual deepfake pornography a specific criminal offence, in 2025;

(c)Amendment to Act No. 40/2009 Coll., the Criminal Code, relating to sexual offences, introducing a consent-based definition of rape, in 2024;

(d)Judgment of 24 April 2024 of the Constitutional Court in case No. Pl. ÚS 52/23, annulling the provisions requiring sterilization and genital surgery as a precondition for legal gender recognition, in 2024;

(e)Act No. 291/2021 Coll., on one-off compensation for persons sterilized in violation of the law and on amendments to certain related Acts, in 2021.

5.The Committee welcomes the State Party’s efforts to improve its policy framework aimed at accelerating the elimination of discrimination against women and promoting gender equality, such as the adoption or establishment of the following:

(a)Action plan for the prevention of domestic and gender-based violence for the period 2023–2026, in 2023;

(b)Action plan for equal pay for women and men for the period 2023–2026, in 2022;

(c)Gender equality strategy for the period 2021–2030, in 2021, updated in 2024;

(d)Follow-up national action plan for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, and related resolutions, for the period 2026–2030, in 2025.

6.The Committee welcomes the fact that, in the period since the consideration of the previous report, the State Party has ratified or acceded to the following international and regional instruments:

(a)International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, in 2017;

(b)Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in 2021;

(c)Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs, in 2017;

(d)Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, in 2017;

(e)Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, in 2016.

C.Sustainable Development Goals

7. The Committee welcomes the international support for the Sustainable Development Goals and calls for the realization of de jure (legal) and de facto (substantive) gender equality, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, throughout the process of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Committee recalls the importance of Goal 5 and of the mainstreaming of the principles of equality and non-discrimination throughout all 17 Goals. It urges the State Party to recognize women as the driving force of the sustainable development of the State Party and to adopt relevant policies and strategies to that effect.

D.Parliament

8. The Committee stresses the crucial role of the legislative power in ensuring the full implementation of the Convention (see A/65 / 38 , part two, annex VI). It invites the parliament (Parlament České republiky), in line with its mandate, to take the necessary steps regarding the implementation of the present concluding observations between now and the submission of the next periodic report under the Convention.

E.Principal areas of concern and recommendations

Definition of discrimination and intersectionality

9.The Committee notes with regret that the Anti‑Discrimination Act does not explicitly recognize intersecting forms of discrimination faced by marginalized groups of women and girls, such as Roma women, women with disabilities, rural women, older women, single women, women living in poverty, women with disabilities, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LBTI) women, and asylum-seeking, refugee, stateless and migrant women.

10. The Committee, in line with articles 1 and 2 of the Convention and its general recommendation No. 28 (2010) on the core obligations of States Parties under article 2 of the Convention, recommends that the State Party:

(a) Amend the Anti‑Discrimination Act and related legislation to explicitly prohibit intersectional discrimination;

(b) Introduce mechanisms for collective complaints and structural litigation on behalf of affected groups, including marginalized groups of women;

(c) Systematically collect and analyse data on discrimination disaggregated by sex, ethnicity, disability, migration status and other relevant factors across all sectors.

Visibility of the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee’s general recommendations

11.The Committee notes that the texts of the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee’s general recommendations are online and that the State Party conducts training campaigns thereon. It reiterates its previous concern, however, that the provisions of the Convention continue to be rarely invoked in court proceedings, indicating a lack of knowledge among women and the general public, as well as within the judiciary, about the rights under the Convention. The Committee also notes with concern the absence of documented systematic and mandatory training on the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee’s general recommendations for judges, prosecutors, lawyers and law enforcement officials, hindering the application of the Convention in domestic decision-making.

12. Recalling its previous recommendations ( CEDAW/C/CZE/CO/6 , para. 9), the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Provide systematic, mandatory and continuous training on the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee ’ s general recommendations for judges, prosecutors, lawyers and law enforcement officials at all levels, with a view to enabling them to apply the provisions of the Convention and interpret national legal provisions in the light of the Convention;

(b) Raise awareness among women of their rights under the Convention and the communications and inquiry procedures under the Optional Protocol.

Women and peace and security

13.The Committee notes that the third national action plan for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), for the period 2026–2030, was approved in July 2025. It regrets, nevertheless, the lack of information on the systematic and meaningful participation of women in decision-making and on the survivor-centred accountability for conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence provided for in previous national action plans.

14. In the light of its general recommendation No. 30 (2013) on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations and the addendum thereto adopted in 2026, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Ensure that the third national action plan, for the period 2026–2030, is in line with the addendum adopted in 2026 to general recommendation No. 30, takes into account new and growing threats to peace and security, such as the weaponization of technology, cybercrime and the existential threats of climate change, new nuclear weapons and illegal trade in arms, and provides for survivor-centric justice, including transitional justice and direct and structural reparations ;

(b) Allocate adequate human, technical and financial resources for the implementation of the national action plan;

(c) Ensure the meaningful and systematic participation of women’s organizations, including those representing minority and grassroots women, in all processes related to women and peace and security, in particular with regard to the adoption, implementation and evaluation of relevant national action plans;

(d) Ratify the Council of Europe Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime on enhanced cooperation and disclosure of electronic evidence (CETS No. 224).

Access to justice

15.The Committee notes with concern the low number of sex-based discrimination lawsuits brought by women before the national courts, which indicates significant barriers to effective access to justice, including court fees, limited access to legal aid and insufficient legal awareness. The Committee notes that the State Party has put in place court fee reductions, expanded legal aid mechanisms and Ombudsperson support. It regrets, however, that there is no comprehensive system of free legal aid for women without the means to pay for legal assistance in anti-discrimination proceedings.

16. Recalling its previous recommendations ( CEDAW/C/CZE/CO/6 , para. 11) and general recommendation No. 33 (2015) on women’s access to justice, the Committee recommends that the State Party remove procedural and financial barriers to women ’ s access to justice, including by further reducing court fees and providing free legal aid to women without sufficient means to pay for legal assistance in anti-discrimination proceedings, and undertake targeted awareness-raising to inform women of their rights under the Convention and the legal remedies available under national law and the Optional Protocol.

National machinery for the advancement of women

17.The Committee notes with concern:

(a)The fact that the national machinery for the advancement of women remains fragmented and is not placed at the highest level of government, with an unclear distribution of responsibilities, coordination functions and funding among the Gender Equality Department, the Government Council for Gender Equality and the Public Defender of Rights;

(b)The limited mandate of the Gender Equality Department, and its unstable funding and insufficient human resources, with only two positions being funded from the State budget, which risks rendering gender mainstreaming ad hoc and contributing to the persistent underperformance of the State Party in gender equality indices related to human development.

18. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Consolidate and strengthen the national machinery for the advancement of women by positioning it at the highest level of government, with a clear mandate, adequate authority and transparent coordination mechanisms;

(b) Allocate sufficient human, technical and financial resources from the State budget to enable effective gender mainstreaming across all sectors and at all levels of government and cooperate more closely with civil society.

National human rights institution

19.The Committee notes that a legislative amendment extending the mandate of the Public Defender of Rights (Ombudsperson) to function as a National Human Rights Institution entered into force in July 2025. However, it also notes that the Ombudsperson has not yet been accredited by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions based on the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles).

20. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Ensure that the office of the Public Defender of Rights has an explicit and strong mandate to protect and promote women’s human rights and gender equality;

(b) Ensure its full compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles, annexed to General Assembly resolution 48/134 ), and facilitate, as a matter of priority, the application of the Public Defender of Rights for accreditation by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions;

(c) Provide adequate human, technical and financial resources to allow the Office of the Public Defender of Rights to deliver on its mandate and encourage its cooperation with women’s civil society organizations.

Temporary special measures

21.The Committee notes with concern that:

(a)The measures under the gender equality strategy for the period 2021–2030 are not explicitly designed as temporary special measures within the meaning of article 4 (1), with defined objectives, timelines and measurable indicators;

(b)There is a lack of high-impact measures such as gender-responsive budgeting or binding targets for women’s representation in decision-making, and that temporary special measures in the private sector are predominantly voluntary;

(c)Temporary special measures are not systematically informed by disaggregated data capturing the situation of all groups of women, including Roma women, women with disabilities and migrant women, and that targeted measures to address the specific barriers faced by them remain insufficient.

22. Recalling article 4 (1) of the Convention and its general recommendation No. 25 (2004) on temporary special measures, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Clearly designate the temporary special measures under the Gender Equality Strategy, and define clear timelines and measurable indicators for the implementation of those measures ;

(b) Introduce mandatory gender budgeting and consider setting up a gender budget monitoring system linking gender performance with sectoral budget allocation and implementation, and strengthen the regulatory framework in the private sector through incentives and penalties linked to permits and licencing to improve sectoral temporary special measures;

(c) Collect comprehensive, disaggregated data to inform the design and application of targeted temporary special measures across all sectors and at all levels of government that will respond to the needs of all groups of women that are disadvantaged or underrepresented in the public or private spheres.

Gender stereotypes

23.The Committee welcomes the efforts undertaken by the State Party to address gender stereotypes, including strategies, awareness-raising campaigns and cooperation with the media. However, it notes with concern:

(a)Deeply rooted and persistent gender stereotypes, including victim-blaming attitudes in cases of sexual violence and the trivialization of intimate partner violence, which contribute to underreporting and legitimization of gender-based violence against women;

(b)The lack of information on concrete, results-based measures targeting men and boys to transform toxic masculinities and discriminatory norms, and the fact that the Gender Equality Strategy for the period 2021–2030 does not sufficiently address stereotypes intersecting with ethnicity, disability, LBTI and migration status;

(c)The fact that women and girls, including Roma women and girls, continue to face stigmatizing stereotypes, hate speech and hate crimes, including in online spaces, reinforcing structural discrimination and increasing their exposure to violence.

24. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Adopt and regularly assess public awareness campaigns and community-level interventions to challenge victim-blaming attitudes and the trivialization of gender-based violence, including campaigns targeting men and boys that promote non-violent masculinities and shared responsibility for unpaid care;

(b) Integrate into the Gender Equality Strategy and related action plans concrete, measurable targets aimed at men and boys and addressing intersecting stereotypes affecting Roma women, women with disabilities, LBTI women and refugee women, in line with its general recommendation No. 28 (2010) on the core obligations of States Parties under article 2 of the Convention;

(c) Strengthen measures to combat hate speech and hate crimes targeting women and girls, including Roma women and girls, including in online spaces, and ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of legislation prohibiting discriminatory content in the media and advertising, including online.

Gender-based violence against women and girls

25.The Committee notes the indication by the State Party that it is in the process of implementing Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating violence against women and domestic violence. The Committee nevertheless notes with concern that:

(a)Suspended or conditional sentences are frequently given in cases of domestic violence and sexual violence, conveying a message that minimizes gender-based violence;

(b)Training for the judiciary on gender-based violence remains largely dependent on individual initiatives;

(c)The short periods provided for under statutes of limitations for sexual offences, including against children, may prevent victims from seeking justice as adults;

(d)There is very limited access to specialized victims support services, with only one centre for victims of sexual violence and approximately 90 shelter places nationwide, and service-providing civil society organizations are chronically underfunded;

(e)There are excessively strict evidentiary standards under the compensation scheme for women subjected to illegal sterilization, disproportionately affecting Roma women and women with disabilities and resulting in a significant proportion of rejected applications, and there is a lack of representation of affected communities on the compensation scheme’s decision-making body;

(f)Data collection on gender-based violence does not sufficiently capture gender-based violence against women, including gender-based killings or femicides, or intersecting discrimination factors;

(g)While the State Party signed the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) in 2016, the Senate voted against its ratification in 2024, effectively blocking the process.

26. Recalling its general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Institute systematic, mandatory and measurable training for the judiciary on gender-based violence, coercive control, the application of the consent-based standard and sentencing practices to ensure that penalties are commensurate with the gravity of offences, in line with general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19;

(b) Review and amend statutes of limitations for sexual offences to ensure adequate time for victims to seek justice;

(c) Significantly increase the number and geographic distribution of shelters and specialized victim support services and ensure sustainable, long-term funding for civil society organizations providing support services to victims of gender-based violence;

(d) Reform the compensation scheme for victims of forced sterilization to accept alternative forms of evidence in line with domestic court judgements, lower the burden of proof and ensure the representation of Roma women and women with disabilities in compensation scheme decision-making processes;

(e) Establish comprehensive, disaggregated data collection systems for all forms of gender-based violence, including femicide, and introduce in-depth multisectoral femicide reviews in order to identify lessons to improve responses to gender-based violence against women;

(f) Consider, in light of the change of government, bringing the matter of the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) before the Parliament once again.

Trafficking and exploitation of prostitution

27.The Committee notes with concern that:

(a)The legal framework lacks a specific non-punishment provision for trafficked persons, who may be investigated, prosecuted or sanctioned for unlawful acts they were compelled to commit;

(b)There is a lack of proactive screening for trafficking indicators among asylum-seeking and migrant women and girls and other groups of women at risk of trafficking, and that access to victim support and protection remains closely tied to cooperation with law enforcement authorities;

(c)Ukrainian women and children under temporary protection, Roma women and girls, and migrant women and girls face heightened trafficking risks, including through the increased use of social media and digital technologies for recruitment, and that targeted preventive measures, including against cybertrafficking, are lacking;

(d)Exit programmes for women wishing to leave prostitution, demand-reduction measures and budgetary allocations for victim assistance are lacking, and that such women have limited access to compensation, reparation and rehabilitation;

(e)The State Party has not ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), resulting in inadequate protection of women (migrant) domestic workers from trafficking and labour exploitation in informal and unregulated settings.

28. Recalling its general recommendation No. 38 (2020) on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Adopt legislation specifically decriminalizing victims of trafficking and issuing detailed guidance for judges, prosecutors, immigration police and other law enforcement officers to ensure that trafficked women are not criminalized for immigration and administrative offences committed as a result of their having been trafficked;

(b) Strengthen early identification of trafficking victims and proactive screening for trafficking indicators at all stages of asylum and migration procedures, and delink access to protection and support services from cooperation with law enforcement authorities;

(c) Adopt targeted gender-sensitive preventive measures for groups at heightened risk, in particular Ukrainian women and girls under temporary protection, Roma women and girls, and migrant women and girls, and adopt legislative and policy measures to address cyber trafficking, including by enhancing law enforcement capacity to investigate online recruitment for the purposes of trafficking;

(d) Strengthen and adequately resource exit programmes for women who wish to leave prostitution, adopt effective measures to reduce demand, increase budgetary allocations for victim assistance and protection, and ensure effective access for trafficking victims to compensation, reparation and rehabilitation and psychosocial counselling;

(e) Ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189).

Participation in political and public life

29.The Committee notes with concern:

(a)The continued significant underrepresentation of women in the Senate, regional assemblies, the executive branch and senior positions in the public service, and the fact that, in the absence of temporary special measures such as parity quotas or the introduction of a zipper system for candidate lists of political parties, women’s representation depends on voluntary quotas set by political parties, which are insufficient to achieve parity;

(b)Persistent vertical segregation in the judiciary, where women are underrepresented on higher courts, especially in decision-making positions, and on judicial governance committees, despite constituting a majority of judges;

(c)The underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions in the corporate and financial sectors, including on boards of large companies;

(d)Deep-rooted gender stereotypes discouraging women from entering politics and leadership, and the lack of effective measures in place to protect women in political and public life from online harassment and cyberviolence;

(e)The fact that Roma women, women with disabilities and young women face compounded barriers to political participation and remain largely excluded from decision-making, and the lack of disaggregated data on women’s political participation;

(f)The low number of women ambassadors and heads of mission, and the limited evidence of sustained progress on increasing this number.

30. Recalling its general recommendations No. 40 (2024) on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems, No. 23 (1997) on women in political and public life and No. 25 (2004) on temporary special measures, as well as its previous recommendations ( CEDAW/C/CZE/CO/6 , para. 23), the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Adopt, without further delay, binding temporary special measures, including statutory quotas and a zipper system for the nomination of candidates on electoral lists of political parties, to accelerate women ’ s political representation, with a view to reaching parity;

(b) Adopt targeted measures to increase women ’ s representation in decision-making positions in higher courts and on judicial governance committees;

(c) Introduce binding quotas for women ’ s representation on boards of listed companies and State-owned enterprises;

(d) Address gender stereotypes discouraging women ’ s political participation and strengthen the protection of women in political and public life from online harassment and cyberviolence;

(e) Take targeted measures, including temporary special measures, to ensure the effective participation of Roma women, women with disabilities, young women and other disadvantaged groups of women in political and public life, including measures relating to campaign financing, mentoring and capacity-building on political leadership and campaigning skills, and systematically collect disaggregated data on their political representation;

(f) Adopt temporary special measures, such as preferential recruitment, accountability mechanisms and time-bound targets, to increase the appointment of women as ambassadors and heads of mission, with a view to achieving parity.

Education

31.While noting the positive steps taken by the State Party, including the revision of the Framework Educational Programmes and initiatives such as “IT is for Girls”, the Committee is concerned about:

(a)Persistent gender segregation that continues to limit girls’ and women’s access to education, particularly in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and information and communications technology (ICT) fields of study;

(b)Persistent barriers faced by Roma and other minority girls in accessing inclusive quality education, including their segregation in separate schools or programmes with reduced curricula, early dropout and low rates of transition to secondary and tertiary education;

(c)The lack of systematic integration of education on sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality at all levels of education;

(d)The limited measures to ensure inclusive education for girls and women with disabilities;

(e)The lack of disaggregated data on girls’ and women’s educational outcomes.

32. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Develop a comprehensive strategy to promote inclusive education for girls and women, in particular in the STEM and ICT fields of study;

(b) Analyse the obstacles faced by Roma girls and women in accessing inclusive education, adopt temporary special measures, including scholarships and Czech language support, to eliminate those barriers, promote their integration into mainstream education as well as their transition to secondary and tertiary education, and establish sex-disaggregated indicators to measure progress on their access to education at all levels, including kindergarten;

(c) Integrate compulsory and age-appropriate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights into curricula at all levels of education, including education on responsible sexual behaviour, modern contraceptive use and sexual consent, and ensure that sexuality education is scientifically objective and regularly monitored and evaluated;

(d) Ensure accessible, quality education for girls and women with disabilities, including through reasonable accommodations and affirmative action measures that address their specific needs;

(e) Systematically collect data on educational outcomes, disaggregated by sex, age, geographical location, disability and socioeconomic background.

Employment

33.The Committee notes with concern that:

(a)The gender pay gap in the State Party has increased since 2021, remaining among the highest in the European Union at approximately 18–19 per cent, and that existing equal pay initiatives rely largely on voluntary initiatives without enforcement mechanisms or dissuasive sanctions;

(b)With regard to childcare for children under three:

(i)Its availability is limited – only 9 per cent of children in this age group are enrolled in formal care, compared with the European Union average of 34.3 per cent – which prevents mothers (98 per cent of parental leave recipients) from returning to work, exacerbating the gender pay gap despite the broadly equal pay at labour-market entry prior to motherhood;

(ii)Children’s groups fall outside the competence of the Ministry of Education and are not regulated by the Czech School Inspectorate;

(iii)Recent changes in subsidy allocations pose financial problems for smaller care providers;

(iv)Neighbourhood children’s groups do not adequately remedy the scarce availability of childcare;

(c)Rates of paternal uptake of childcare responsibilities are low, and that the State Party has yet to fully transpose the European Union Work-Life Balance Directive, particularly regarding adequately paid, non-transferable paternity and parental leave and an enforceable right to request flexible working arrangements;

(d)It remains unclear whether the transposition of the European Union Pay Transparency Directive will mandate equal pay audits, corrective action and enforceable sanctions;

(e)There is pervasive vertical and horizontal segregation in the labour market, with women accounting for less than 16 per cent of persons in decision-making positions in publicly owned companies and only 13 per cent of specialists in the ICT sector;

(f)The number of labour discrimination cases filed by women is low, due to a lack of awareness as to what constitutes discrimination, the complexity of cases and the financial risks of litigation.

34. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Take urgent measures to reverse and close the gender pay gap by strictly enforcing the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, in line with the ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100);

(b) Increase the availability of childcare for children under the age of three as soon as possible, introduce a guaranteed place in a childcare facility for children at least from the age of two years, and transfer responsibility for the administration of children’s groups from the Ministry of Labour to the Ministry of Education to ensure systematic quality childcare through appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms by the Czech School Inspectorate;

(c) Fully implement the European Union Work-Life Balance Directive, introduce a non-transferable part of parental leave for the second parent of a minimum duration of two months, with appropriate compensation for lost earnings, in accordance with Articles 5 (2) and 8 (3) of Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers; and adopt measures to challenge gender-role stereotypes in care and promote equal sharing of care responsibilities;

(d) Transpose the European Union Pay Transparency Directive without delay, ensuring that it includes mandatory pay gap audits and reporting, corrective action requirements, enforceable penalties and time-bound targets;

(e) Adopt targeted measures to eliminate horizontal and vertical occupational segregation, including through training opportunities, economic incentives and safeguards against discriminatory recruitment practices;

(f) Amend the Anti-Discrimination Act and related labour legislation to strengthen penalties for discrimination and ensure adequate remedies and compensation, and raise awareness among employers, employees and the general public about labour discrimination and the legal remedies available to challenge it;

(g) Ratify the ILO Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156).

Health

35.The Committee notes with appreciation the legislative and public policy progress made in relation to women’s health, including with regard to access to contraception and in vitro fertilization. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The discrimination, stigma and financial barriers faced by Roma women, women with disabilities and LBTI women in accessing health services, including sexual and reproductive health services;

(b)The limited access to comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education and adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services;

(c)The incidence of obstetric interventions without free, prior and informed consent of the women concerned, and the limited health insurance coverage of midwife-assisted home births;

(d)The restriction of assisted reproduction to heterosexual couples, with single women and same-sex couples being excluded;

(e)Outdated restrictions on access to abortion based on age, number of children and residence status, and the requirement of parental notification for girls aged 16–18, despite them having reached the age of sexual consent;

(f)The fact that the compensation scheme for unlawful sterilization may not cover all affected women, including those sterilized under substituted decision-making, and the lack of mechanisms to detect forced sterilization having occurred after 2012;

(g)The limited measures to prohibit medically unnecessary procedures on intersex children without their informed consent or to provide psychosocial support to intersex children and their families;

(h)Delays in adopting legislation fully implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast‑milk Substitutes, and aggressive marketing practices by breast‑milk substitute manufacturers;

(i) The fact that the national action plan for Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses for the period 2020–2030 does not systematically integrate a gender dimension.

36. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Eliminate discriminatory barriers in access to health services for Roma women, rural women, women with disabilities and LBTI women, including by training health professionals on non-discrimination and ensuring accessibility and reasonable accommodation, in line with general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on women and health, and ensure their inclusion in the digital health transformation under the strategic framework for healthcare development for the period up to 2030;

(b) Strengthen comprehensive sexuality education in schools and ensure accessible, adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, engaging boys and young men in challenging harmful norms;

(c) Adopt effective measures to prevent obstetric violence, ensure informed consent for all procedures during childbirth, and ensure that midwife-assisted care is covered by health insurance;

(d) Remove restrictions on access to assisted reproduction for single women and women in same-sex couples;

(e) Review and update the legal framework on abortion to remove restrictions based on age, number of children and residence status, and remove the requirement of parental notification for abortions performed on girls aged 16–18;

(f) Ensure that the compensation scheme for unlawful sterilization covers all victims of unlawful sterilization, that no sterilization is performed without the free, prior and informed consent of the woman concerned, including through supported decision-making, and investigate, prosecute and adequately punish all cases of forced sterilization having occurred after 2012;

(g) Prohibit medically unnecessary procedures to alter the sex characteristics of intersex children without their informed consent and provide them with comprehensive psychosocial support, in line with the relevant Council of Europe standards;

(h) Expedite the adoption of legislation fully implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast‑milk Substitutes, and ensure the strict regulation of breast‑milk substitute marketing;

(i) Ensure that all policies, measures and activities arising from the national action plan for Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses for the period 2020–2030 integrate a gender perspective, taking into account differences between women and men in prevalence, trajectories and barriers to diagnoses.

Economic empowerment and social benefits

37.The Committee notes with concern:

(a)The gender pension gap triggered by, among other things, the high gender pay gap, and the limited information on time-bound targets and the relevance and effectiveness of measures to reduce the gender pension gap;

(b)Women’s limited access to loans, mortgages and business credit and to professional networks, which continues to pose barriers to women’s equal participation in critical economic sectors driving the gross domestic product;

(c)The fact that a disproportionate burden of unpaid care constitutes one of the main barriers to labour market participation and access to social protection and buffer systems for Roma women and other marginalized groups of women;

(d)Women’s underrepresentation in coaching and leadership in sport, and the fact that gender stereotypes limit girls’ and women’s equal enjoyment of cultural life and recreational and sports opportunities.

38. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Adopt time-bound measures to close the gender pay and pension gaps, including by equipping the equal pay action plan with measurable targets and ensuring effective monitoring;

(b) Strengthen ongoing pension reforms to reduce the gender pension gap, including by recognizing unpaid care work performed by women and computing it towards their pension benefits;

(c) Promote women’s entrepreneurial activities and facilitate their access to low-interest loans without collateral, mortgages and business credit, and collect disaggregated data on gender differences in access to financial resources;

(d) Expand affordable and accessible childcare and family support services, particularly in rural areas and communities with high Roma populations, and integrate the provision of adequate childcare facilities into broader social protection schemes and poverty reduction strategies;

(e) Adopt targeted policies, including temporary special measures, to increase women ’ s representation in sport leadership and coaching, allocate adequate resources and conduct awareness-raising measures to challenge gender stereotypes and encourage the participation of women and girls in cultural life and in recreational and professional sports, and ensure equal access to sports facilities.

Rural women

39.The Committee notes with concern:

(a)The persistent regional disparities between Prague and structurally disadvantaged regions, which result in significantly limited access in those areas to quality healthcare, education, transport and public services, disproportionately affecting rural women, particularly older women and women with care responsibilities;

(b)The limited information on specific gender-responsive measures to address rural women’s access to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services, education, safe transport, digital connectivity and social protection.

40. In accordance with its general recommendation No. 34 (2016) on the rights of rural women and target 5.a of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Adopt targeted measures to reduce regional disparities in access to health care, education, transport and public services in structurally disadvantaged regions, with particular attention to rural women, especially older women and women with care responsibilities;

(b) Ensure that regional development and social inclusion strategies are gender-responsive and include specific measures to improve rural women ’ s access to sexual and reproductive health services, safe transport, digital connectivity and social protection.

Women facing intersecting forms of discrimination

Refugee, asylum-seeking and stateless women

41.The Committee notes with concern that:

(a)The statelessness determination procedure remains hampered by insufficient dissemination of information, insecure residence permits, the absence of a facilitated naturalization pathway, the lack of systematic provision of travel documents and inadequate family reunification procedures for stateless persons and asylum-seekers, disproportionately affecting women and children, including those classified under “unknown nationality”;

(b)There is no sex- and age-disaggregated data on stateless persons, including on women and children who have been naturalized and provided with documents, which impedes targeted policy responses;

(c)Ukrainian refugee women and girls, who constitute the majority of temporary protection holders, face persistent barriers to access to education, employment, social protection and basic services, a heightened risk of gender-based violence and uncertainty about the continuity of protection measures;

(d)The asylum system does not adequately recognize gender-based persecution as grounds for international protection, due to the lack of gender-sensitive training for immigration and other law enforcement officers and interpreters, and that there is limited access to specialized legal aid for women asylum-seekers and stateless women and a lack of measures to ensure women’s equal right to confer their nationality on their children.

42. Recalling general recommendation No. 32 (2014) on the gender-related dimensions of refugee status, asylum, nationality and statelessness of women, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Strengthen the statelessness determination procedure by disseminating information on the procedure, ensuring the continuity of residence permits, a facilitated naturalization pathway and systematic provision of travel documents, and establish clear procedures for resolving “unknown nationality” cases and for family reunification involving stateless persons, with particular attention to women and children;

(b) Collect and publish comprehensive, sex- and age-disaggregated data on stateless persons, asylum-seekers and refugees, including on women and children who have been naturalized and provided with documents, to inform gender-responsive policy measures;

(c) Ensure that Ukrainian refugee women and girls have effective access to education, employment, social protection and survivor-centred gender-based violence services by removing language, administrative and information barriers and guaranteeing the continuity of protection measures and their access to basic services;

(d) Provide gender-sensitive training for immigration and other law enforcement officers and interpreters, ensure specialized legal aid for women asylum-seekers and stateless women, and guarantee women’s equal right to confer their nationality on their children.

Women with disabilities

43.The Committee notes with concern the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by women with disabilities in the State Party, particularly in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, violence in institutions and access to justice. The Committee also notes the discriminatory provisions that limit or prevent women with disabilities from exercising their right to marry and found a family and to have custody of their children.

44. The Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Ensure that women with disabilities have effective access to justice and legal aid through the provision of reasonable accommodations and procedural adjustments, in accordance with the Committee’s general recommendation No. 33 (2015) on women’s access to justice;

(b) Provide mandatory training on the rights of women with disabilities and on reasonable accommodation for the judiciary and law enforcement officers;

(c) Establish comprehensive reparations for women and girls with disabilities who are survivors of institutional violence and harmful practices, such as forced sterilization and coercive abortion.

Roma women

45.The Committee takes note of the strategy for Roma equality, inclusion and participation for the period 2021–2030. It nevertheless notes with concern:

(a)The multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by Roma women, whose life expectancy is approximately 18 years lower than that of the majority population, and the barriers to their access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, including inadequate gynaecological care in socially deprived areas;

(b)The lack of systematic collection of sex- and age-disaggregated data on Roma women, including LBTI Roma women and Roma women with disabilities;

(c)The structural exclusion of Roma women from the labour market, reflected in very low employment rates and their concentration in low‑paid informal work, and the absence of updated disaggregated data on employment discrimination;

(d)The compounded discrimination and heightened exposure to violence faced by LBTI women, including LBTI Roma women, and the lack of implementation of the 2024 Constitutional Court decision abolishing surgery and sterilization requirements for legal gender recognition.

46. Recalling its general recommendations No. 24 (1999) on women and health and No. 28 (2010) on the core obligations of States Parties under article 2 of the Convention, as well as target 3.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, on ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Prioritize Roma women in health, education and poverty reduction policies and ensure that they have equal access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, including gynaecological care, in socially deprived and rural areas;

(b) Systematically collect sex- and age-disaggregated data on Roma women, including LBTI Roma women and Roma women with disabilities, using anonymous self-identification and qualified estimates, to monitor intersecting discrimination and assess policy impact;

(c) Identify the root causes of the structural exclusion of Roma women from the labour market and adopt targeted interventions to increase their formal employment;

(d) Ensure that new legislation on legal gender recognition provides accessible procedures free from unnecessary and invasive interventions, and effectively enforce anti-discrimination protections for LBTI women, including Roma LBTI women.

Climate change and disaster risk reduction

47.The Committee notes with concern that:

(a)Czechia is one of the fastest-warming countries in Europe, with significant impacts on rural regions, yet there is limited information on gender-specific climate impact assessments or targeted support measures for rural and disadvantaged women who bear a disproportionate share of climate-related burdens;

(b)There are reports that key climate protection structures within the Ministry of the Environment have been dismantled or downgraded, raising serious questions about the continuity and ambition of climate policy and institutional arrangements;

(c)Women and girls, including rural, Roma, migrant, refugee and young women, and women’s civil society organizations, are insufficiently represented in the design, implementation and monitoring of climate and environmental policies, despite Roma communities and residents of excluded localities facing heightened environmental risks.

48. Recalling its general recommendation No. 37 (2018) on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Conduct gender-specific impact assessments of climate change and adopt targeted adaptation and support measures for rural and disadvantaged women;

(b) Maintain robust climate institutions that are supported at the ministerial level and have adequate human, technical and financial resources to allow them to carry out their work, and ensure that climate mitigation and adaptation policies explicitly integrate gender perspectives at all levels;

(c) Ensure the meaningful participation of women and girls from vulnerable communities, including rural, Roma, migrant, refugee and young women, and women ’ s civil society organizations, in the design, implementation and monitoring of climate and environmental policies.

Marriage and family relations

49.The Committee takes note of the national plan for the promotion of equal opportunities for persons with disabilities for the period 2026–2030, prohibiting the restriction of legal capacity, including interference with marriage and parenthood rights, to be adopted in 2026. It notes with concern that:

(a)The Civil Code permits marriage of persons aged 16 or 17 with judicial authorization in undefined “exceptional circumstances”;

(b)Domestic and gender‑based violence is not systematically taken into consideration in decisions on custody and visitation rights in the State Party;

(c)There are procedural differences for same‑sex and opposite‑sex couples in the adoption of a partner’s child;

(d)Legal capacity restrictions continue to affect the rights of women with disabilities to marry and exercise parental rights.

50. In line with its general recommendations No. 21 (1994) on equality in marriage and family relations and No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19, the Committee recommends that the State Party:

(a) Set the minimum age of marriage at 18 for both women and men, without exceptions;

(b) Ensure that domestic and gender-based violence is systematically taken into consideration in court decisions on custody and visitation rights and that contact arrangements do not expose women and children to further harm;

(c) Remove discriminatory limitations affecting same-sex couples, ensuring equal access to joint adoption and full parental recognition as well as equal protection for all children;

(d) Repeal, as a matter of priority, all legal provisions restricting the legal capacity of women with disabilities in matters relating to marriage and family life and adopt supported decision-making mechanisms that fully respect their autonomy and preferences.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

51. Following the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Committee calls upon the State Party to reaffirm its implementation and to re-evaluate the realization of the rights enshrined in the Convention in order to achieve substantive equality between women and men.

Dissemination

52. The Committee requests the State Party to ensure the timely dissemination of the present concluding observations, in the official languages of the State Party, to the relevant State institutions at all levels (national, regional and local), in particular to the Government, the ministries, the parliament and the judiciary, to enable their full implementation, as well as to civil society, including non ‑ governmental organizations, in particular women’s organizations, to raise full awareness within the State Party.

Ratification of other treaties

53. The Committee notes that the adherence of the State Party to the nine major international human rights instruments w ould enhance the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms in all aspects of life. The Committee therefore encourages the State Party to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, to which it is not yet a Party.

Follow-up to the concluding observations

54. The Committee requests the State Party to provide, within two years, written information on the steps taken to implement the recommendations contained in paragraphs 26 (d), 30 (d), 34 (b) and 36 (c) above.

Preparation of the next report

55. The Committee will establish and communicate the due date of the eighth periodic report of the State Party in line with a future clear and regularized schedule for reporting by States Parties (General Assembly resolution 79/165 , para. 6) and following the adoption of a list of issues and questions prior to reporting, if applicable, for the State Party. The report should cover the entire period up to the time of its submission.

56. The Committee requests the State Party to follow the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific documents ( HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6 , chap. I).