Description
National and international commitments and obligations concerning women’s human rights are insufficiently reflected in public policies, resulting in discrimination against women in various areas, incl. disrespectful or even violent behavior by public institutions. The project objective is to promote systemic changes to eliminate and prevent discrimination against women (on the labour market, in healthcare etc.), with the main focus on women’s right to autonomy, integrity and human dignity. By promoting democratic human right values, the project will contribute to removing long-term and systemic discrimination against women, incl. gender based violence. It will involve monitoring and analysis of the current state of play, advocacy, litigation and watchdog activities to address selected problems and propose legislative and policy changes. Project outcomes will involve systemic changes to aid women suffering from discrimination in all its forms (incl. institutionalized ones).
Summary of project results
The project contributed to gradual elimination of long-term and systemic discrimination against women and violation of their human rights in healthcare and labour market in Slovakia. The main focus was on the right to autonomy, integrity and human dignity of women. Implemented advocacy, litigation and watchdog activities – especially those involving monitoring and analysis of the current state within healthcare in childbirth - lead towards developing solutions on selected problems and proposing legislative and policy changes. The organization has done a mapping of experience of women in childbirth from the point of view of observance of their human rights in facilities providing health care in childbirth in Slovakia. We obtained valuable data on practices of non-dignified, disrespectful and violent treatment of women in childbirth, that are gathered in a publication. Thus the basis for argumentation was developed for the advocacy activities in the future. Public institutions and persons who represent them are not sufficiently aware of their obligations concerning womenś human rights and that tehy bear responsibility for their fulfillment. Thus national and international commitments and obligations are not reflected in public policies adequatly.The aim of the project was to contribute in changing this situation through effective advocacy. Target groups (e.g. students) and the groups benefiting from the project (women) were most often involved in the advocacy activities (e.g. carrying out monitoring and research of violations of women´s human rights in childbirth). The partner subjects within the project were coopearting women experts and NGOs. We succeeded in developing close cooperation with the grasroot association Women´s Circles. It enabled us to engage a wide range of active women in regions in the advocvacy activities. Finally, the project helped to bring in the aspect of pressing need to observe human rights of women within the process of providing the care in childbirth in helathcare facilities in Slovakia - and public institutions and bodies in general.
Summary of bilateral results