UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 9) Slovakia signed and ratified several UN and Council of Europe human rights instruments during the period under review. In May 2010, Slovakia became a State party to the CRPD and its OP.

National Report:
Para 21) Two EU Regulations were transposed by the amendment to the Criminal Code of 1 August 2013.
- Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography;
- Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.

Para 22) Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (signed by Slovakia in 2009) and the Convention on combating trafficking in human beings in line with recommendations made by relevant monitoring body (GRETA).
The aim of the amendment was to achieve compliance with the Council of Europe

Para 28) In 2010, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family carried out campaign on alternative forms of upbringing and on strengthening parental rights. Manuals from the Council of Europe programme "Building a Europe for and with Children" and from campaign on sexual violence against children were distributed to foster homes and to offices of labour, social affairs and family.

National Report:
Para 4) As for prevention and elimination of violence against women, several measures have been adopted in line with the National Action Plan for the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women 2014-2019.
Para 5) On 20 November 2014, the Government adopted the National Strategy for Gender Equality 2014-2019 and the Action Plan for Gender Equality 2014-2019.
Para 15) The adoption of the Victims Act also resulted in amending the provisions of CC laying down a special motive (§140). In the case of selected criminal offences, having the characteristics of a special motive warrants the use of heavier sentences. The previous provisions related to special motive in §140e established that a criminal offence is committed out of a special motive if it is committed out of hatred towards a group of persons or an individual for their actual or assumed membership of a race, nation, nationality, ethnic group, for their actual or assumed origin, colour, sexual orientation, political opinion or religion. The amendment to the CC also added sex to the definition of a reason for hatred.
Para 41) The right to access to employment is provided for in the Act on Employment Services. A citizen has the right to choose employment freely and work anywhere in the SR, or can choose to work abroad. In accordance with the Labour Code women and men are entitled to the same pay for the same work or for work of the same value. Under the Act on Equal Treatment in Certain Areas and Protection against Discrimination (Anti-Discrimination Act), sexual harassment at workplaces is prohibited.
Para 43) The MLSAF SR continuously adopts measures to reduce the salary gap between men and women. One of the most significant ones is an outreach campaign highlighting the ever-shrinking salaries paid to women, in addition to offering advice on the www.kedvyrastiem.sk (when I grow up) website on how to protect against discrimination on the labour market. Another significant measure to reduce the gender pay gap is a gradual minimum wage increase, as women find themselves in low-income jobs more often than men. Another important instrument for increasing employment and income levels for women was the national project “Family and Work” focused on balancing family and work life and on work opportunities for mothers with small children.
Para 44) As for the fight against discrimination, an important and indispensable role is played by social partners by promoting equal treatment, for example through monitoring workplace practices, access to employment, professional training and career progression, as well as through monitoring collective agreements, codes of conduct, research, or through sharing experience and best practice. In line with the principle of equal treatment, discrimination on the grounds of marital or family status, … gender … is prohibited.

National Report Annex 1:
The Act on Crime Victims became effective on 1 January 2018. The Act introduces basic concepts such as ‘victim’, ‘particularly vulnerable victim’, or ‘domestic violence crimes’ into the legal system. A domestic violence crime is, among other things, a crime committed by using violence or the threat of violence against a spouse, former spouse, partner, former partner, parent of the same child or to other person who lives or lived in the same household. Particularly vulnerable persons are also persons who are victims of domestic violence crimes.

The adoption of the Act on Crime Victims also resulted in amending the provisions of the Criminal Law laying down special motive (§140). In the case of selected criminal offences, having the characteristics of a special motive warrants the use of heavier sentences. The amendment to the Criminal Law also adds sex to the definition of a reason for hatred.

Domestic violence is a criminal offence in the Slovak Republic. The interpretation of these unlawful acts covers all possible situations, while respecting the international definition of this criminal offence. Besides domestic violence crimes, the Criminal Law specifically defines sexual violence crimes, as well as rape, which also includes marital rape. The Slovak legal system does not tolerate any form of rape during marriage.

In recent years, a series of amendments amending a number of provisions of the CL, the Criminal Code and other laws, which were substantially related to prosecution of violence against women including domestic violence, have been adopted in the Slovak Republic. One of the measures is evicting the offender from the shared household. The period of time a police officer is authorised to evict a violent person for has been extended from 48 hours to 10 days. The eviction includes the obligation of an evicted person not to approach the person under threat closer than the distance of 10 metres.
The project of establishing the Coordination-Methodological Centre for Gender-Based and Domestic Violence (CMC) remains one of the key projects in the field. The CMC was officially established in 2015. The main objective is to create, implement and coordinate a comprehensive national policy in the field. The CMC set up an expert team responsible for professional coordination and supervision of systematic prevention and intervention to support victims and to provide services in the field of violence against women and domestic violence. The CMC ensures professional coordination of activities through methodological guidelines on providing services in the field of primary prevention and elimination of violence against women and their children, and creates conditions for multi-institutional cooperation.
The recommendation has been implemented.

UN Compilation:
Para 47) CEDAW noted with concern that discriminatory stereotypes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women and men in society and family were deeply rooted in Slovakia, and that there had been campaigns by non-State actors advocating for traditional family values, overemphasizing the roles of women as mothers and caretakers, and criticizing gender equality as “gender ideology”.
Para 49) [CEDAW] was concerned that many public and private actors had not adopted temporary special measures to facilitate the participation of women in the labour market, and that the lack of effective measures to promote the reconciliation of work and family life constituted a barrier to women’s access to employment. It was also concerned that significant horizontal and vertical gender segregation existed in the labour market, and that the gender pay gap remained wide.
Para 51) CEDAW noted the high level of representation of women in the judiciary, but was concerned at the low level of representation of women in Parliament and in the Government, and the underrepresentation of women in high-ranking positions in the diplomatic service.
Para 53) Several treaty bodies noted the adoption of the National Action Plan for the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women 2014–2019. CEDAW noted with concern, however, the prevalence of gender-based violence and harmful practices against women, the underreporting of such violence and the low numbers of prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators, the limited application of protection orders by the police and the lack of a coordinated system for preventive measures and victim assistance in cases of gender-based violence.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 10) The SNCHR welcomed the adoption of a national strategies … on gender equality … .
Para 48) The SNCHR stated that discriminatory stereotypes concerning social and family roles of women and men were deeply rooted in Slovakia. Women continued to bear a disproportionate share of family and household responsibilities. The SNCHR explained that, in terms of gender stereotyping, a fundamental problem laid on misinterpretation of the term “gender equality”. Some groups of society considered gender equality as a threat to traditionalism.
Para 49) JS1 reported that gender inequality remained evident in many areas of private and public life.

National Report:
Para 9) ... In March 2012, Slovakia ratified the OP-ICESCR ...

National Report:
Para 41) The right to access to employment is provided for in the Act on Employment Services. A citizen has the right to choose employment freely and work anywhere in the SR, or can choose to work abroad. In accordance with the Labour Code women and men are entitled to the same pay for the same work or for work of the same value. Under the Act on Equal Treatment in Certain Areas and Protection against Discrimination (Anti-Discrimination Act), sexual harassment at workplaces is prohibited.

National Report Annex 1:
In the Slovak Republic, support of youth employment is delivered in accordance with the 22 April 2013 Recommendation of the EU Council on introducing the Youth Guarantee (2013/C 120/01) and in accordance with the Communication from the European Commission of 19 June 2013 (Working Together with Young People – a Call to Action on Youth Unemployment). This EU Council recommendation was followed by the creation of the National Action Plan for Implementing the Youth Guarantee in the Slovak Republic, which the Government of the Slovak Republic negotiated and took note of at its meeting on 5 February 2014. The introduction of the Youth Guarantee is also included in the National Reform Programme of the Slovak Republic 2014, approved by Resolution No. 195 of the Government of the Slovak Republic from 23 April 2014. The Youth Guarantee introduces measures in two main areas: early intervention and activation and support measures for integration into the labour market.

The recommendation has been implemented.

UN Compilation:
Para 49) [CEDAW] was concerned that many public and private actors had not adopted temporary special measures to facilitate the participation of women in the labour market, and that the lack of effective measures to promote the reconciliation of work and family life constituted a barrier to women’s access to employment. It was also concerned that significant horizontal and vertical gender segregation existed in the labour market, and that the gender pay gap remained wide.