2024-04-24 06:22:32
Although equality is one of the fundamental values of the European Union, women across the European Union still have lower salaries than men, face sexual violence and cannot decide for themselves about their own bodies. Equality between the sexes was discussed in the Aktuelle debate by MEP Markéta Gregorová (Pirates) and Johanna Nejedlová, who is leading the Greens in the European elections. Influencer Lucie Zelinková shared her personal experience.
Debate Unequal Europe | Video: Dominika Perlínová
Photo: EU
“We have European values that we as Europeans have agreed upon. The Czech Republic entered the European Union with the understanding that we agree with them,” Nejedlová explains why it is important that the European Parliament and the EU as a whole insist on equality. “People tell us that migrants will come who will disturb those values. But isn’t it already disturbing them that we ourselves don’t want to observe those values?” he asks.
For example, equality of rights in employment was discussed in the discussion. The principle that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work has been enshrined in European treaties since 1957. However, this is still not the case today. The so-called According to Eurobarometer data, the gender pay gap, i.e. the difference between men and women in terms of salary, is around 13 percent at the European level. In the Czech Republic, the situation is even worse.
Gregorová, who will defend her mandate in the June elections, is convinced that it is necessary to solve these problems systematically. As an example of good practice, he cites Romania, which is among the countries with the most equal pay for women and men in the EU.
“It was because of one single systemic measure. They significantly extended paternity leave there so that men can also take parental leave. And it works. The difference in remuneration is reduced because if the employer does not know who will leave, he automatically stops stereotyping for himself and compares remuneration,” he describes.
The EU has helped bring about a number of changes
Fears that Brussels will push for too fast changes seem absurd to the pirates. “We don’t have the Istanbul Convention ratified, God knows how remuneration transparency is implemented, and we don’t have marriage for everyone. I can’t agree with such people and I don’t know what exactly has changed so terribly drastically in their conservative lives thanks to the European Union,” explains Gregorová.
Nevertheless, Nejedlová reminds that a whole series of changes, including the redefinition of rape, succeeded in gaining ground in the Czech Republic precisely because the same topic was also addressed at the European level. “If we didn’t have the European directive on the table at that time, we would have had nothing to reflect on at all,” she evaluates the negotiations with Czech politicians on new legislation, which she promoted as part of the Konsent association.
In the (Un)equal Europe debate, female politicians also addressed the ban on abortion in Poland and efforts to limit women’s access to abortions in other European countries as well. Including the Czech Republic, where, for example, the Movement for Life is lobbying for a ban.
Politicians and influencer Lucía Zelinková also talked about how best to explain the issue of equality to the older generation or how to respond to hateful comments they receive for their work on social networks.
You can watch the entire debate in the opening video or listen to it in your favorite podcast app.