The Report on Absent Voices: Missing Female Perspectives in CEE, produced by GLOBSEC with the support of the Open Society Foundations, aims to shed light on the level of gender equality and female participation in the public and private spheres in Central Europe and advances a series of recommendations for the creation of a more inclusive and equitable landscape in key sectors. The report scans leadership environments of the Visegrad Four countries in the realm of five topic streams, namely, Future of Europe, Defence & Security, Economy & Global Order, Digital Future and Sustainability. The analysis focuses on better understanding the gender composition of selected Public sector bodies, Non-Governmental Organisations, Conferences and Businesses to highlight where female voices are marginalised, isolated or absent entirely in Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The overarching goal is to raise awareness of the level of gender disparity in the region and consequently provide concrete recommendations on how to improve the rate of female representation and participation in the future. Following this investigation and the findings it offers, it is no longer disputable that gender diversity should not only be a target to meet for political correctness, but rather a common interest. Therefore, the Report endeavours to set the path towards amplifying the female voices in areas where they had been absent or silenced thus far. The data gathering and the process of analysis took place from June to October 2020, following a mixed research methodology. Most data acquired came from direct sources in the national languages of the countries surveyed, providing this document with an accurate representation of the realities on the ground.
Authors:
Alexandra Martin, Head of GLOBSEC Brussels Office
Sierra Ballard, MSc Student, Leiden University, Former trainee, GLOBSEC Brussels Office
Linda Tothova, Policy Assistant, GLOBSEC Brussels Office