Nearly a quarter in Czechia report discrimination, with women hit harder

Nearly a quarter of people in Czechia say they experienced discrimination or harassment during the past five years, with women reporting it substantially more often than men, according to a new survey.

The Median poll, commissioned by the Justice Ministry’s gender equality department, found that 23 percent of respondents had experienced such treatment. The figure was 29 percent among women and 17 percent among men.

The findings also showed widespread concern about unequal pay and access to protection from domestic violence. Researchers surveyed 1,022 people age 15 and older in June.

People most commonly encountered discriminatory treatment when looking for work, according to government human rights commissioner Taťána Malá.

Younger respondents were particularly likely to report discrimination or harassment. Around a third of those under 35 said they had experienced it, compared with a fifth of people ages 35 to 55 and 28 percent of those ages 55 to 65. Among respondents of retirement age, the figure was 11 percent.

Gender was the second-most commonly cited reason for discrimination after age, said Radan Šafařík, head of the ministry’s gender equality department.

Access to protection was another concern: 62 percent of respondents believed it was difficult to obtain protection against discrimination in Czechia.

Two-fifths said they had encountered someone receiving lower pay than colleagues for the same work, either personally or among people they knew. That included approximately a third of men and 46 percent of women.

Support for greater pay transparency was strong. Four-fifths agreed that employees should have the right to information about average pay for comparable positions.

“Equality between men and women concerns safety, work and family life,” Malá said, emphasizing its relevance to everyday experiences.

Almost two-thirds of respondents considered protection against domestic violence insufficient, while three in five believed victims could not easily obtain help.

By contrast, 19 percent thought the state and its institutions provided sufficient protection, and a quarter believed help was accessible to victims.

Malá described the findings as alarming and linked perceived barriers to help with domestic violence remaining unreported.

She welcomed growing rejection of the idea that women are responsible for being raped. Among respondents under 25, four-fifths disagreed with that claim.

The findings come as lawmakers consider a Labor Code amendment introducing equal-pay rules based on an EU directive. Malá also pointed to proposed changes to criminal and civil legislation intended to strengthen protection for victims and children affected by divorce.

Responsibility for gender equality policy moved from the Government Office to the Justice Ministry in July. Some employees left following the transfer, and vacancies remain. Several experts also departed the government’s advisory council, with replacements expected to be selected soon.