The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Women's rights|Activists and NGOs are drawing attention to the ways in which Czechia is still failing women. In a manifesto released yesterday, the Czech Women's Lobby outlined six key areas where policymakers must step up their efforts to level the gender divide – among them consent, equal pay, stronger legislation around domestic violence, parental responsibility, and bodily autonomy.

Czech women of note|Prague is filled with statues and memorials, and women are not left out. While women are the minority, Prague is still ahead of many other cities. New York's Central Park didn't get its first statue of a real woman until 2020. Some of the names like Milada Horáková and Božena Němcová are familiar to every Czech, and even internationally. Others like Eliška Krásnohorská are a bit more obscure.

Brewery initiative|Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day, held annually on March 8, is an initiative that’s celebrated around the world. This year, breweries across the Czech Republic will not only participate in the event once again but will inaugurate the establishment of a new professional association, the Czech Republic’s first Pink Boots Society.

TikTok|The Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) today warned Czechs against downloading the Chinese video application TikTok. It has labeled the app a “security threat” and said the public should “think twice” before using it. Read more in our article.

Pickled cucumbers|The famous Znojmia pickles might become a thing of the past. Norwegian group Orkla announced that it will close down two production facilities in Czechia, including the Pika Bzenec plant, a specialist in the processing of sterilized vegetables, which produces the Znojmia pickled cucumbers, according to Seznam Zprávy.

Domestic violence|Czech-Canadian artist David Strauzz unveiled a mural supporting the fight against domestic violence yesterday in Prague's Holešovice district. The 20-meter-high work depicts a woman's face in muted colors, which upon closer examination reveal signs of violence; messages of support adorn the mural. 

Obesity rates|Fast-rising demand to get medical help for obesity has prompted the General University Hospital (VFN) in Prague to open a new section devoted to bariatric procedures. There are an estimated 150,000 extremely obese people – with a body mass index (BMI) of over 40 – in Czechia today, a rapid increase from 20 years ago. Read more in our article.

Fly to Taipei|The Czech Ministry of Transport announced that Prague would get a connection to Taiwan in mid-July, when the Taiwanese airline China Airlines should start operating flights between Prague and Taipei, according to iDnes. The service is planned to operate twice a week. Due to the Covid pandemic and tensions with Beijing, Czechia canceled all its flights to mainline China.

Chess with a legend|Screen legend Hedy Lamarr passed away in 2000, but you can play chess against her online all throughout Women’s History Month. Lamarr is remembered for work in Hollywood but also gained notoriety for appearing in the racy 1932 Czechoslovak film “Extase,” filmed around Prague. In the chess simulation, she makes comments about her career as she makes her moves.