Zpět

GENDER EQUALITY

Gender equality and gender-based violence

Low representation of women in management and politics is a long-term problem in the Czech Republic. Women have generally lower wages, even if working in the same roles as men. The gender pay gap is currently about 22%. This also results in lower pensions for women. The root of this problem is not a lack of women’s education, competencies or professionality; it is caused by prejudice in society. Women also constitute a major share of victims of sexual and domestic violence. Women form a half of the Czech Republic’s population, and in younger ager groups, they have higher education than men, and yet their voice is still not heard properly. It is vital to boost representation and engagement of women in public space, labour market and politics. Especially areas where decisions about women and their rights are made need to have a higher representation of women.

In this programme area projects with these outcomes will be supported:

Strengthened Civil Society Advocacy and Watchdog Role

Civil society is facing a crisis of political parties as well as attacks on democratic values. We often witness a minimal interest in citizens ́ needs in political sphere as well as in the governance. It is necessary to defend public interest and show dissatisfaction with non-trans- parent and untrustworthy governance to the executive branch of the government. It is vital to support watchdog activities and give feedback to the executive power and their governance.

To be able to pursue the watchdog role, it is essential to strengthen monitoring of politicians and public institutions decision-ma- king processes on every level of the governance. Civil society organizations need to proceed together to defend public interest, share good practice and to support effective exercise of human rights. All to be able to contribute to systemic change in Czech society.

Increased Support for Civic Education and Media Literacy

The media world has been undergoing a technological boom; it is full of news that can influence public opinion. Lot of information are spread from wide array of sources and they ́re spread regardless of their relevance or truthfulness. Through numerous social networks and websites, information is spread regardless of their relevance or truth. Whether we know it or not, that information influen- ces our opinions Since means of disinformation campaigns are getting more inventive and more money is spent on spreading fake news, the ability to analyse media messages, evaluate whether they are based on facts and understand their intention is becoming one of the most important ability to develop.

Civic and media education support critical thinking that allows us to make well-informed and responsible choices and have an active participation in public affairs. Critically thinking citizens are crucial for active civil society and promoting democratic principles. They are also less likely to disseminate fake news. It is necessary to increase media literacy in both formal and non-formal education, to include media literacy into school curriculums and to develop a critically thinking attitude among people.

Increased Capacity and Sustainability of the Civil Society Sector And Individual CSOs

Insufficient and unsystematic funding of the civic sector prevents Czech non-governmental organization from reaching higher impact of their activities. In such conditions, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to focus on the organization’s growth and sustainability. In this sector, we experience lack of systematic and effective cooperation with our supporters which would help us communicate the importance of our activities and develop a positive attitude towards our role among general public.

To face this issue, we must emphasize our professionalism and necessity of our work for maintaining healthy civil society. Our role is not only to proceed the activities that fulfil original purpose of our organisation but also to confidently defend civil sector as one of the stable pillars of democracy.

Consortium

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