Equal opportunities programme implemented

In March 2001, the Slovak government adopted a 'Concept on equal opportunities for women and men'- the country's first comprehensive elaboration of the gender equality issue. The document set out a range of measures, including initiatives relating to equal opportunities in the labour market and reconciliation of work and family life. The first report on the implementation of the programme was submitted in April 2002.

On 7 March 2001, the Slovak government, through resolution No. 232, adopted a document entitled the 'Concept on equal opportunities for women and men', along with the necessary implementation measures. The 'concept' was drawn up by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, and its aim is to support the systematic integration of women's and men's needs and priorities in all policies and measures. The main goal is to improve equal opportunities form women and men, taking into account their differences and mutual interests.

Background

International documents which oblige the Slovak Republic to implement the principle of equal opportunities for women and men in legislation and practice, formed part of the basis for drawing up the 'concept'. The concept was also influenced by the fact that Slovakia, as part of the process of preparing for accession to the European Union, must implement a national programme for the adoption of the 'acquis communautaire' (the body of EU law), which includes implementation of legal and institutional mechanisms to secure equal opportunities.

An important input into the drafting of the concept document was provided by: the findings of various items of sociological research; the debates, conclusions and recommendations of numerous international conferences and seminars on the position of women and men in Slovak society and on the implementation of the equal opportunities principle in practice; and the experiences of EU Member States in implementing equal opportunities. The key issues taken into consideration in the concept include the following:

• the insufficient participation of employers' and trade union organisations in resolving equal opportunities problems;

• the need for legal adjustments regarding equal opportunities in employment;

• the lack of implementation of equal opportunities in other areas of society, such as public life and the family sphere;

• the insufficient institutional support for equal opportunities at all levels of the state administration and lower-level government (ie insufficient monitoring, control and possibilities to eliminate discrimination);

• the existence of stereotypes in perceiving the position of women and men in society, and a traditional understanding of their social roles;

• the existence of international documents which contain the equal opportunities principle; and

• the low level of interest regarding equal opportunities issues on the part of the media, educational institutions and other organisations which influence public understanding of gender equity.

The concept document aims to encourage the public to pay attention to the application of equal opportunities for women and men as an integral part of implementing basic human rights in society. Its main aim is to ensure more effective implementation of gender equality in all spheres of Slovak society.

The document contains: a definition of the equal opportunities concept; measures and recommendations for implementation; and a number of appendices (such as Norway's Act on Gender Equality and selected Slovak statistical data on gender issues). The concept focuses on three main areas in which gender inequality is most clearly manifested:

• the labour market

• public and political life; and

• reconciliation of work and family life.

However, a certain amount of attention is paid to equal opportunities in other areas of public life.

Current equality situation

The transformation of the Slovak economy in the post-communist period (since 1989) has been accompanied by fundamental changes in the area of employment. However, despite an increased rate of women's unemployment, including long-term unemployment, there is still a high level of female participation in the labour market. Commentators attribute this to a number of factors, notably:

• that high value that women ascribe to work in their 'value system';

• the economic indispensability of work, because of the existence of a 'double-income' family model; and

• a need for 'self-actualisation' among women.

Women's employment is influenced by their unequal representation in the economy, with the existence of so-called 'over-feminised' sectors and branches (ie horizontal gender segregation of the labour market). Generally, women are over-represented in sectors and branches where incomes are low, such as services, healthcare and education. Men do not have a great interest in working in these areas. This leads to a further increase of women's over-representation in these sectors and branches, and further imbalances in women's and men's income. This fact, as well as traditions and historical developments, subsequently determines the level of women's old age and disability pensions, which are thus calculated on a lower income base.

Despite the associated difficulties and financial and time demands, the number of women who have decided to start up their own business activities has gradually been increasing.

The high rate of women's employment is seen as creating an obligation for society quickly to eliminate discrimination against them in the labour market. Despite the positive approach of the Slovak government towards the elimination of women's unequal position in the labour market, in practice such discrimination still exists. For example, evidence indicates that:

• there are strong prejudices about men being more fit to perform certain work or functions;

• women's promotion and participation in leading positions is not adequate, given the similar education and qualification levels of women and men;

• men are often given preference over women when recruiting new employees and filling job vacancies, as employers fear that women will take maternity leave or stay at home to care for sick children;

• there are differences in average wage levels between so-called 'typically male' and 'typically female' occupations; and

• women and men receive unequal remuneration for equal work, or for work of equal value.

Labour market equality measures

In order to ensure the implementation of equal opportunities for women and men in the labour market, the concept document contains the following measures:

1. elaborating and updating (taking a systematic approach) the current list of jobs and workplaces which may not be filled by women, pregnant women, juvenile workers and mothers in the nine months after childbirth;

2. enlarging the possibilities for women to take on leading positions, and assessing the results regularly;

3. supporting the inclusion of measures to implement gender equal opportunities in employment in the national tripartite general agreement and in collective agreements. This will be done in cooperation with the Federation of Employers' Associations of the Slovak Republic (Asociácia zamestnávatelských zväzov a zdruzení Slovenskej republiky, AZZZ SR) and the Confederation of Trade Unions of the Slovak Republic (Konfederácia odborových zväzov Slovenskej republiky, KOZ SR);

4. in cooperation with AZZZ SR and KOZ SR, creating special employment conditions for women and men who take care of children and dependent family members, and facilitating their return to work through upgrading their qualifications, reskilling and counselling on a possible transition to self-employment. Incentives are to be provided for employers to create a range of possibilities to use part-time employment, home working, temporary work and other kinds of flexible working pattern;

5. in collaboration with AZZZ SR and KOZ SR, ensuring the implementation of equal pay for women and men for equal work and work of equal value;

6. in collaboration with KOZ SR, ensuring the monitoring of compliance with the principle of equal pay for equal work and work of equal value;

7. supporting projects aimed at enhancing the position of women and men in rural areas and women and men with reduced chances to enter the labour market;

8. supporting life-long education programmes which involve gender and equal opportunities issues;

9. pursuing consistent observance of equal opportunities for women and men in the preparation of new legislation on pensions insurance; and

10. supporting the creation of the institution of Ombudsman in order to improve the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

Relevant central state administration bodies (ministries and other bodies) are responsible for the implementation of the adopted measures. An annual implementation report on the concept must be presented to the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family by 30 April each year.

Reconciliation of work and family life

Research indicates that the position of the partners in Slovak families is currently characterised by culturally entrenched stereotypes, according to which the care of the family is traditionally seen as the role of women. This means that women, however equal they may be formally, do not automatically enjoy actual equality. The results of a 1995 survey on sharing family work between women and men (conducted by Focus Agency) indicate that women have a higher preference for family duties to be shared on a partnership basis by both parents. Men tend to prefer the core of such responsibility to be borne by women. This causes difficulties for women in returning to work after maternity leave, or extended maternity leave, and in adapting to employment after longer absence due to childcare, or looking after other family members, which often results in a 'double burden' of work for women. The status of women and men in Slovak families is typically characterised by:

• a disproportionate double burden for women;

• unequal distribution of partner roles, and low participation by men in family care and children's education;

• a lack of balance between work and family life; and

• a need for restructuring parenthood on the basis of partnership.

In order to ensure a better balance between work and family life, the concept document includes the following measures:

• expanding and increasing the quality of social services provision aimed at care for children, older people and people with various types of disabilities, so as to give a respite to families that have an excessive burden of caring for such people;

• ensuring that the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family's annual 'family and employment' audit of employers is focused on rewarding the most 'family-friendly' employers; and

• together with AZZZ SR and KOZ SR, supporting the inclusion in both the tripartite general agreement and collective agreements of measures aimed at reconciling work and family life.

Relevant central and regional state administration bodies (the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, and its regional and district offices) are responsible for the implementation of particular measures. An annual report on the implementation of these measures should be presented to the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family by 30 April each year.

Equal opportunities in other areas

The 'Concept on equal opportunities for women and men' also deals with gender equality in public and political life. It stresses the need for modification of the Act on Political Parties and the Act on Elections, so that a higher level of women's participation in political life and political parties can be ensured.

Special attention is given in the concept document to the elimination of violence against women and in families. Emphasis is placed on the need for the elaboration of a national strategy for the prevention and elimination of such violence.

Education and training activities are seen as tools for stimulating a general 'gender sensitivity' in all areas of life. The need to include gender equality and domestic violence issues in curricula is underlined, as is educating executives in the state administration and lower levels of government in the area of equal opportunities for women and men. Moreover, specific attention is given to initiating an equal opportunities agenda and recording its development at ministries and other central state administration bodies. The concept states that the involvement of civic associations and non-governmental institutions in the process is very important.

The document also stresses the need to establish appropriate institutional mechanisms which implement and monitor equal opportunities in practice in different areas (culture, economy, employment relations etc). Gender statistics are also important as a tool for analysing gender relations, and the concept provides for systematic monitoring and research on maintaining the equal opportunities principle in different spheres of life ( the labour market, family, social insurance system, public life etc). In this respect, the Research Institute of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Výskumný ústav práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny, VÚPSVR) is conducting field research analysing the current situation in practice. This research is being carried out in the framework of a project for the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, entitled 'equal opportunities for women and men in employment in the Slovak Republic realised'.

Finally, attention is given to the intensification of cooperation with international organisations. It is seen as important to create the necessary conditions for Slovak participation in the EU's 2001-5 fifth framework strategy on gender equality (EU0007264F), and for adoption of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 156 on workers with family responsibilities.

Implementation assessed

The Department of Equal Opportunities of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the measures listed in the concept document. The first report on implementation was submitted by the department on 30 April 2002 and approved by a ministerial meeting at the Ministry. The report was also presented at a meeting of the tripartite Council for Economic and Social Concertation (Rada hospodárskej a sociálnej dohody, RHSD). The main findings are summarised below.

Up to the time of the evaluation, lists of jobs and workplaces from which women, pregnant women, juvenile workers and recent mothers are banned had not been elaborated or updated. However, at present, intensive communication is taking place on this issue between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.

Discrimination in the area of remuneration has not yet been a matter for control by labour inspectors. The National Labour Inspectorate (Národný inšpektorát práce, NIP) has had the competence to conduct such control only since 1 April 2002 – following the adoption of new labour legislation (SK0206101N).

Several ministries have prepared analyses regarding the representation of women in leading positions. Given the relatively high number of women in such positions, the ministries have stated that there is no need to take any additional measures in this respect. However, many of these ministries did not analyse women's representation throughout the levels of the managerial hierarchy.

Over the evaluation period in question (2001-2), no tripartite general agreement was signed, and it was thus not possible to include equal opportunities measures in the agreement. Research by VÚPSVR on a sample of sector and company collective agreements has confirmed that, currently, no specific attention is paid in collective bargaining to the issue of equal opportunities between women and men.

The National Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Národná agentúra pre rozvoj malého a stredného podnikania, NARMSP) has supported through education and training the employment of special target groups of unemployed people, including women interested in setting up business activities. Over the last year, people who have completed the Agency's courses have established 184 new enterprises. Some measures in the area of support for women's employment and business activities are also being implemented in the framework of Slovakia's National Action Plan for employment for 2002-3.

In order to enhance the position of rural women, the Agency for Rural Development (Agentúra pre rozvoj vidieka) has prepared a pilot project, aimed at creating a group 'micro-loan' scheme available to this group. This scheme aims to contribute to the establishment or enlargement of firms owned by rural women. The National Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises has also supported business activities by rural women in the framework of a programme developed for specific groups of citizens. Within the Programme for Renewal of Villages in Slovakia, managed by the Ministry of the Environment (Ministerstvo životného prostredia, MŽP SR), the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family has supported projects which take into account the equal opportunities issue and the creation of new jobs. The recent Act on Regional Development Support (No. 503/2001 in the Collection of Laws) also covers the issue of creating equal conditions for the development of business activities by rural women.

Equal opportunities in pensions insurance have been secured by the adoption of a new Act on Social Insurance (No. 413/2002 in the Collection of Laws). Implementation of gender equality in the area of fundamental rights and freedoms is stipulated by new Act on the Ombudsman (No. 564/2001 in the Collection of Laws), which took effect on 1 January 2002.

In 2001, nursing care and home care was provided for 29,024 citizens (an increase of 6% on the previous year), but its level is still regarded insufficient. The implementation report states that the improvement of measures in the area of social services closely relates to the improvement of the financial situation of individuals, as well as of society as a whole.

Since 2001, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, in collaboration with the International Centre for Family Studies, has been running a national competition entitled 'employer supports the family' in order to support the reconciliation of work and family life by companies. Under the scheme, registered employers compete in three categories: family policy; equal opportunities for women and men; and the most original measure to help balance work and family life.

Commentary

The elaboration of the 'Concept on equal opportunities for women and men', can be considered as an important first attempt at preparing a strategic programme in the area of gender equal opportunities in the Slovak Republic. The weakness of the concept is that it was drawn up at a time when no findings of any relevant national research into the actual situation were available. Therefore, to some extent, the concept's scope is not completely clear. Inadequate organisation of the work on the document also had an impact on its quality. For example, the final comments and adjustments were made in a very short time. Therefore, some comments were not sufficiently included in the final version of the concept.

Typical teething difficulties have influenced the first years of the concept's implementation, with some successes and negative outcomes. Weaknesses in the implementation of the measures adopted have shown that certain deficiencies in the application of gender equality still exist in the Slovak Republic, and that intensive public support is needed. Accelerated cooperation with all interested bodies and better financing are needed. The lack of a comprehensive methodology for assessing the implementation of adopted measures is also a weak point of the concept.

The first implementation report on the concept indicates that the issue of gender equality has reached the public consciousness thanks to the activities of non-governmental organisations and the media. Despite this fact, the public still considers these issues to be of low importance, and not real but only formal attention is given to them. This reality has an impact on the implementation of the measures set out in the concept. The implementation of some measures has been influenced by an overly formal approach, often based on a lack of understanding of the issue. A typical example is the problem of increasing women's participation in leading positions. Traditional stereotypes about men being more capable than women in leading positions have been presented as a fact, with the former's dominance explained as the result of the application of fair recruitment practice in terms of the qualifications and education demanded. Another example is gender discrimination in remuneration. Many employers are convinced that equal remuneration for men and women is secured if the agreed wage tariffs (or tariffs stipulated by law) are maintained and compulsory benefits are provided equally for women and men. The fact that the National Labour Inspectorate is not well prepared for monitoring the implementation of equal pay for women and men can also be considered as a weakness.

The evaluation report says nothing about the implementation of measures in the field of life-long learning on gender equality. Furthermore, there are no officials at ministries (apart from the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family) whose employment contract includes responsibility for gender equality. This fact can be considered a general weakness. A lack of financial means is often the cause for adopted measures not being implemented. Moreover, the authors of the implementation report point out that collaboration with the social partners (AZZZ SR and KOZ SR) has been insufficient.

Some measures have been implemented due to intensive and close cooperation among all interested parties initiated by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. The approach of its regional and district offices regarding the expansion of social services and the execution of the annual 'family and employment' audit - with awards for those employers that support families - can be considered as a positive example. Another positive example of activities focused on the implementation of gender equality issues is international cooperation by Slovak and foreign experts within the framework of MATRA, a 'societal transformation' project sponsored by the Dutch government. (Margita Barošová, RILSAF)