IloÂna Mikóczy – LÃvia DoÂmonÂkos: StaÂtus of Women in SloÂvaÂkia
The issue of equalÂiÂty of rights of womÂen, femÂiÂnisÂm, emanÂciÂpaÂtion are fashÂionÂable conÂcepts today. Women’s rights form part of basic and uniÂverÂsal human rightÂs. The necesÂsiÂty of the topic is shown even by the fact that the EuroÂpean Union declared 2007 beÂing the year of equalÂiÂty of rights of all seÂxes. Although social pubÂlic opinÂion – meanÂing the attiÂtude that arisÂes disÂpleasÂure many times even in the cirÂcle of fightÂing femÂiÂnists and womÂen, in our regÂion genÂerÂalÂly refusÂes the issue, conÂsidÂerÂing it over-enÂgaged with polÂiÂticÂs, enforced issue. IndÂed, Central-Europe does not belong to those regionÂs, where the oppresÂsion of women is an unamÂbiguÂous, every-Âday thing.
DrasÂtiÂcal and genÂerÂal vioÂlaÂtion of woman’s rightÂs, quesÂtionÂing of socialÂly acceptÂed comÂpeÂtence, mutiÂlaÂtion and total excluÂsion of woman’s rights from pubÂlic life is not the charÂacÂterÂisÂtic of this regÂion. The goal of this study is not to creÂate probÂlems artiÂfiÂcialÂly and make conÂflictÂs. Its goal is not to supÂport vioÂlent femÂiÂnisÂm, deny difÂferÂences between women and men, and/or blindÂly argue the repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtion of one or anothÂer sex. Although, the goal is the study is the arguÂmenÂtaÂtion of equalÂiÂty of chances and the objecÂtive examÂiÂnaÂtion of the sitÂuÂaÂtion of SloÂvak women in the sociÂety. The actuÂalÂiÂty of our research is supÂportÂed by staÂtisÂtiÂcal data. AccordÂing to the popÂuÂlaÂtion cenÂcus in 2001 SloÂvaÂkia’s popÂuÂlaÂtion numÂber was 5,380 milÂlion, from which 51,4 per cent were women. Fifty-six per cent of the popÂuÂlaÂtion live in vilÂlages. Despite the high rate of eduÂcaÂtion, the difÂferÂence between the averÂage wages of women and men is 28 per cent, for the benÂeÂfit of the men. In the labour marÂket the women are comÂpared with men under-ÂrepÂreÂsentÂed by 13 per cent. At the ParÂliaÂment they are presÂent by elecÂtoral periÂods by 15 per cent. In our study we examÂine the role of SloÂvak women in difÂferÂent segÂments of the sociÂety. GenÂerÂalÂly we can state that judgÂing the sitÂuÂaÂtion of seÂxes presÂent in the sociÂeÂty is in a great extent influÂenced by stereoÂtypeÂs. If we examÂine whatÂevÂer segÂment of the sociÂety, copÂing and fightÂing with stereoÂtypes is an inevitable and priÂmary task.
In our study we tried to define conÂcrete recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtions even beyond this issue.