Europeanization and Gender Equality in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the pre-accession measures of the European Union (EU) on the question of gender equality in the Czech Republic and Slovakia during the years 1996–2004, with a view also to contributing to our understanding of the manner in which this area can be Europeanized. The main part of the chapter focuses on the quality of gender equality implementation in the two countries before accession in 2004. It is just one of the many projects that the candidate countries from Central Europe had to deal with, and in the process demonstrated clearly the differences and specific conditions of each. Invariably, this had implications not only for the enlargement process but also for the meaning of Europe. As the European Commission put it: Throughout the enlargement process, discussions and negotiations on gender equality have implied more than candidate countries just catching up with EU legislation and process. The creation of an ever closer union of the peoples of Europe and inclusion of these countries within the European Union brings a wealth of experience and achievements from which the existing member states can also learn. This process of mutual amalgamation of what has been achieved across so many countries can be expected to refocus gender equality in Europe and to provide a fresh and promising impetus towards a gender equal society.1 KeywordsCzech RepublicGender EqualitySocial AffairCandidate CountryAccession NegotiationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.