UPR Sexual Rights Database

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.

Para 34) Combating trafficking in human beings, including assistance to victims has been among priorities of the Ministry of Interior for a long time. Since 2006, the policy against human trafficking is guided by the National Programme of Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. Programme for the Promotion and Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking is part of the national programme. In line with the principle of equality and non-discrimination, victims are provided with services according to their individual needs on an equal basis, i.e. regardless of their nationality. Additional measures are applied towards victims' foreigners with respect to language barrier, legalization of residence and voluntary return to the country of origin.

Para 35) Complex assistance is provided to victims of human trafficking during the period of emergency assistance and 90-day period of recovery respectively. The assistance may be extended to the whole criminal proceedings subject to victims'appoval; if needed the assistance may be provided during 90-day reintegration process following the criminal proceedings. As a first step, victims are isolated from criminal environment. They are also provided with assistance in voluntary return to Slovakia, 90-day period of emergency assistance, financial and social assistance, psychological treatment, therapy, legal assistance, healthcare services, re-qualification trainings, and 90-day period of reintegration.

Para 36) The legal order contains provisions on combating trafficking in human beings. Its criminal aspects based on the Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children are reflected in the Criminal Code. The crime of trafficking in human beings committed against person under the age of 18 is considered an aggravated circumstance with respect to imposing criminal penalty (further details on the protection and assistance to victims are included in paragraphs 21-24 of the report).

Para 37) In case a minor becomes a victim of trafficking, a socio-legal protection
authority in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IMO) or with non- governmental organization shall ensure that a minor is involved in the Programme of Support and Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking, and that he/she is provided with assistance and protection in a safe facility such as foster homes and crisis centres. Trainings on identification of victims of trafficking are regularly conducted for professionals working with children; training is also provided to staff of foster homes.

National Report Annex 1:
On 20 November 2014, the Government of the Slovak Republic adopted the National Strategy for Gender Equality for the 2014-2019 period and the related Action Plan for Gender Equality for the 2014-2019 period. The individual activities and measures it specifies were prepared in cooperation with non-governmental organisations and the Council of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Human Rights and Gender Equality. The Strategy and the Action Plan are closely linked and represent a comprehensive conceptual framework for promoting equality of men and women.
The Strategy specifies six strategic areas and priorities. Within strategic area 2, Participation in decision-making in public and economic life, it sets the following objective: Reduction of gender gap in participation between women and men in decision-making positions, and within this objective, it sets the following targets: 2.1 To increase representation of women in decision-making processes in political life, including their motivation and possibilities to be election candidates and to participate; 2.2 To promote women’s entrepreneurship by creating systemic measures, including balancing family and work life; 2.3 To increase representation of women in economic decision-making positions.
The recommendation has been implemented

UN Compilation:
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.

National Report:
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 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:
In 2017, updated action plans of the Strategy of the Slovak Republic for the Integration of Roma until 2020 for the 2016-2018 period were approved in the areas of education, employment, health, housing, along with an action plan in the area of financial inclusion, non-discrimination and approaches directed at the majority society – Initiative of Roma Integration through Communication.
The individual national projects called “Community Centres in Towns and Villages with MRC – Phase 1, Field Social Work and Field Work in Municipalities with MRC, implemented by the OPGSRRC within the European Solidarity Assistance co-financing system have a direct impact on creating employment opportunities for the Roma, including those engaged in public service and in the implementation of these projects, while tracking integration and the process of inclusion.
This effect is also achieved by implementing the national project “Healthy Communities 2A”. The target number of persons engaged in the project is 264 and the target number of members of marginalised Roma communities using the services at the section of health education is 30,000. This project, in its basic operation, has been set to cover 150 municipalities, which are also listed in the Take Away package, and its future development is expected to add further 164 municipalities.
In 2017, the system of cooperation between the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities and the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic (MTC SR) included the process of adopting an amendment to the Act on Subsidies For Development of Housing and for Social Housing and to the Act on the State Fund for Housing Development. These generally binding legal regulations created a legal instrument for investment to build new flats provided by the State Fund for Housing Development (SFHD) worth up to 100% of their procurement price, in addition to raising price limits. The scope of investment provided by the SFHD has been extended to include acquisition of land for construction of rental housing. The amendments, within their regulatory scope, also introduced and provided for the term “start-up flat” in the common standard category of flats.
These are mainly the national projects called “Community Centres in Towns and Villages with Marginalised Roma Communities – Phase 1, Field Social Work and Field Work in Municipalities with Marginalised Roma Communities 1. 150 municipalities are involved in this phase in the Take Away package, with typical planned average numbers of clients reaching 30,000 and 80,000.
A system within the competence of the MTC SR to support the procurement of rental housing flats serving as social housing has been in place for a long time, using a combination of subsidies in accordance with the Act on Subsidies For Development of Housing and for Social Housing and low-interest loans from the SFHD.
The Government of the Slovak Republic approved the National Strategy for Gender Equality and the Action Plan for Gender Equality for the 2014-2019 period. The National Action Plan for the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women for the 2014-2019 period was also adopted. The tasks and measures arising from these documents are being implemented.

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.

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 Annex 1:
The Slovak Republic fully assists in the exercise of the right to life, as it is enshrined in the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, the binding international human rights documents it signed and ratified, and in national legislation.
In its ruling, the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic arrived at the conclusion that the legally permitted choice a woman makes to request termination of pregnancy up to 12 weeks of gestation does not, under the conditions provided for by the law, contradict the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, which provides in Article 15 (1) that human life is the key value of the rule of law. It follows from Article 15 (1) of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic that the constitution maker distinguishes between the right of every person to life (first sentence) and protection of an unborn human life (second sentence). This distinction suggests a difference between the right to life as a personal, subjective entitlement and protection of an unborn human life as an objective value. The Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic is of the opinion that an unborn human life has the character of an objective value.
The Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic also emphasised that the right to privacy and protection of private life in connection with the principle of freedom and the fundamental right to human dignity guarantee an individual the possibility of autonomous self-identification. This framework also includes and protects (constitutionally) the choice of a woman concerning her own mental and physical integrity, including her decision on whether she will conceive and on how her pregnancy will develop. By becoming pregnant (whether the pregnancy is planned, unplanned, voluntary or due to violence), a woman does not forego her right to self-identification.
In the given ruling, the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic arrived at the conclusion that the value of an unborn human life can only be protected insofar as such protection does not interfere with the woman’s freedom and her right to privacy.