Twenty Years of Maturing: Slovak Women Exploring the Frontiers of Democracy

Abstract

The author analyzes Slovakia's road to democracy since the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and pays special attention to the changes in women's position in the society. In the first section, she outlines crucial transition challenges and milestones. The second section, central to the study, shows the last two decades in gender perspective. It starts by explaining women's lukewarm attitudes toward gender issues both during socialism and at the threshold of the new era. The chapter discusses women's persistent marginalization in politics, contrasting this with their active role in civil society. It cites enduring inequalities in the labor market as well as the lingering patriarchal division of responsibilities within families and outlines changes in the patterns of family and private life. Although women in Slovakia as well as men have become more aware of gender inequalities, politicians have remained reluctant to embrace a “gender agenda.” A typical feature of contemporary Slovakia is the gap between official documents promoting gender equality, approved under pressure from the European Union, and their implementation in practice. The main actor attempting to close this gap is the pluralist sector of women's nongovernmental organizations that has undergone remarkable growth and diversification. All these elements and processes constitute the setting in which the 2009 presidential election took place. For the first time in Slovakia's history, an incumbent president was seriously challenged by a popular female politician. The third section of the study analyzes the gender dimensions of this unique race.