The Slovak political landscape is highly hostile to women. The answer lies in collective pressure for change

Bratislava, June 3, 2026 – Today, at the National Council of the Slovak Republic, the non-governmental organization Freedom of Choice (Možnosť voľby) presented the results of the first-ever study on gender-based violence against female politicians in Slovakia. At a press conference in the Council, gender expert and statutory representative of the Freedom of Choice, Adriana Mesochoritisová, highlighted an alarming fact. “Our research revealed that every female member of parliament has personal experience with at least two forms of violence. This is unacceptable. That is why people from civil society and a broad spectrum of political parties have come together today to make it clear that violence can end if we stand up against it together and take action.”

Richard Raši, Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, also unequivocally affirmed the importance of this issue and the necessity of fostering a healthy public discourse, emphasizing that any form of aggression against women is absolutely unacceptable. “If we want to prevent gender-based violence against female politicians, it is crucial that men also actively engage in addressing this issue, thereby sending a clear signal to society as a whole. We cannot tolerate a situation where the price of a woman entering public office is associated with fear and vulgarity. If we turn politics into a hostile environment full of personal attacks on women and their families, they will have no motivation to enter it. We will thereby lose their valuable and expert contributions, and the state will cease to adopt solutions that truly reflect the realities of life and the needs of women. The issue of female politicians’ safety is therefore not just a PR topic; it is directly a question of the quality of our democracy. If we truly want a decent environment, this problem must not be politicized; we must start with ourselves and lead by example right here in the plenary session of the National Council,” noted Speaker R. Raši.

The Freedom of Choice study clearly demonstrated that the political environment in Slovakia is highly hostile toward women. These findings are based on in-depth interviews with 27 of the 33 female members of parliament (MPs) who were approached, representing an exceptionally high response rate of 82%.

Every single female MP surveyed reported having experienced violence in the online space, and as many as 96% of them also encountered psychological violence, most frequently in the form of sexist comments, intimidating and harassing behavior, and verbal attacks.

In the online environment, this took the form of hateful comments, attacks directed at relatives and children, and direct death threats. Yet online violence is difficult to prosecute in Slovakia, as law enforcement agencies often lack the technical and personnel resources needed to address it effectively.

However, the problem is not limited to the digital sphere; it extends deeply into the day-to-day conduct of politics and the functioning of institutions. The research revealed a high level of tolerance for inappropriate behavior within political structures themselves, which was confirmed by the data collected on sexual harassment and discrimination.

“One in two female lawmakers has experienced sexual harassment in connection with the performance of their mandate, but only 14% of them took any action in response. This low percentage is linked to the absence of effective mechanisms for reporting and investigating such behavior, as well as its persistent normalization in the predominantly male environment of politics,” noted researcher Kristína Gotthardová.

Fifty-nine percent of the female MPs surveyed have encountered gender-based discrimination in parliament. This discrimination manifests itself directly in the National Council of the Slovak Republic, where female MPs often lack adequate conditions to fulfill their mandates while also caring for their children and relatives. The problem also persists within party structures, where women have long lacked an equal share of power and equal access to decision-making processes themselves.

The research findings were confirmed at a press conference by female members of the National Council of the Slovak Republic from both the coalition and the opposition parties.

“If we want political representation to reflect the Slovak population, we need more women in politics, as they are currently a significant minority, even though there are more women than men living in our country. Women need to be more motivated to enter politics. Unfortunately, given current events—which include the vilification of women, harassment, and the inability to balance family and political life—we can hardly expect women to flock to politics. “That is why I consider the debate on how to cultivate the political environment and make it a respectful space for women to be an important building block toward increasing women’s participation in public affairs,” said MP Vladimíra Marcinková of the Freedom and Solidarity club (Sloboda a Solidarita).

Research has confirmed that violence against female politicians, as well as sexism, represents a serious social and structural problem in Slovakia. It fundamentally influences and shapes the lives of female politicians themselves and their loved ones and has broader negative consequences for society as a whole. Female lawmakers are regularly subjected to attacks on their appearance, questioning of their competence, or criticism of their ability to function as working mothers.

“What we face as female lawmakers is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the pandemic of violence against women in our society. We should stop turning a blind eye to it and finally begin to address the problem – not only because we have the opportunity to do so, but also because we have a duty to do so—by enacting laws and setting social norms in parliament,” said MP Beáta Jurík of the Progressive Slovakia party (PS).

The values they champion in parliament, such as human rights and gender equality, are regularly targeted.

“The level of violence and hatred that women in politics must face leads to self-censorship and discourages further participation in political work. This is harmful to society as a whole. When women’s voices are silenced, women’s issues become increasingly invisible. This harmful phenomenon particularly affects women who are also part of other minorities, such as the LGBTI+ or the Roma minority. This deepens the gaps and creates a society in which a large portion of people do not feel accepted or safe. “This needs to be changed,” said MP Lucia Plaváková.

The exclusion of women from political life through aggression undermines the very foundations of a democratic state.

“Violence contributes to women leaving politics prematurely, prevents them from exercising their right to participate in the management of public affairs, and also threatens democracy itself. The low participation of women means that we live in a democracy with a ‘male face,’ in its incomplete and distorted form. That is, in a system that is not neutral but tailored to men’s lived reality and experiences,” notes Adriana Mesochoritisová.

Therefore, according to the Freedom of Choice and the female MPs present, it is crucial that we, as a society, do not tolerate such violence and do not support a culture of silence surrounding it. “Violence is absolutely unforgivable and intolerable. Whether it involves physical attacks, psychological abuse, or even just hints and intimidation, no form of harm has a place in our society,” stated Andrea Turčanová, an MP from the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH).

Female politicians must be provided with safe conditions so they can perform their duties freely, without coercion or fear. They must have a real option for protection, the ability to speak out and safely report cases of violence, while society must be able to decisively stop such behavior and hold perpetrators clearly accountable. It is clear that such systemic change requires a comprehensive combination of tools, including consistent support for equality not only in politics but in all areas of life.

“I’m not the type to be easily thrown off track by harsh political criticism. I know how to set my own boundaries, but what I can’t control is a systemic problem that forces my assistant to open disgusting packages at work and requires me to spend time and resources every day dealing with an endless stream of threats and hateful comments, while my male colleagues can use those same resources for their legislative work on behalf of the people,” said independent MP Jana Bittó Cigániková.

One in four female MPs surveyed had experienced attacks targeting their personal and family lives. These attacks primarily stemmed from the stereotypical belief that, as women, they should primarily focus on caring for children rather than working in the parliament. Such a narrow understanding of motherhood serves to legitimize the exclusion of women from the public sphere or as an argument for limiting their participation. “Violence is particularly hard on women when they are mothers. The attacks hurt not only us, but also our children and our loved ones. I consider this to be despicable. Especially since most of the attacks are based on lies,” said Paula Puškárová of the HLAS – Social Democracy party.

The findings of the Freedom of Choice study are further illustrated by data from the non-governmental organization Bez sexizmu (No sexism). The organization presented its preliminary findings from another, currently ongoing study focused on the state of gender equality, sexism, and workplace culture, which also examines the working conditions of female members of parliament and employees of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, including incidents of violence. The findings illustrate the atmosphere of violence, which affects not only female politicians but also assistants and staff at the Parliamentary Office.

According to the findings of the Bez sexizmu organization, female MPs assessed the overall atmosphere in parliament as uncivilized, full of rudeness, attacks, falsehoods, animosity, and incompetence. “It repeatedly emerged in interviews that female MPs experience their expertise being questioned. They also pointed to the inadequacy of the currently adopted code of ethics, which fails to address workplace culture, sexist and harassing behavior, and discrimination against women, and does not define mechanisms for resolving such cases,” said Jitka Dvořáková, a gender expert and representative of the Bez sexizmu.

According to the organizations and the female MPs present, it is therefore crucial that we, as a society, do not tolerate such violence and do not support a culture of silence surrounding it. Female politicians must have safe conditions in order to perform their duties freely, without coercion or fear. They must have a real possibility of protection, the ability to speak up and safely report cases of violence, while society must be able to decisively stop such behavior and hold perpetrators clearly accountable. It is clear that such systemic change requires a comprehensive combination of tools, including consistent support for equality not only in politics but in all areas of life.

The full research report in Slovak can be found here.

Media Contacts:

Kristína Gotthardová, 0903 788 178, kristina@moznostvolby.sk
Adriana Mesochoritisová, 0911 550 195, adriana@moznostvolby.sk
Michaela Pavelková, michaela@bezsexizmu.sk

The 3R Project – Recognize, Resist, Rise up: Addressing Gender-Based Violence Against Women in Politics – is implemented by a consortium of five European organizations: Forum 50% (Czech Republic), Jól-Lét Alapítvány (Hungary), Women for Election (Ireland), EAF Berlin (Germany), and Možnosť voľby (Slovakia). The common goal is to increase the safety, resilience, and visibility of women in politics through research, advocacy, training, and public campaigns.

This project is co-financed by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission is responsible for them.

The “Parliament Without Sexism” project is co-funded by the European Union through the Pontis Foundation’s Impact Lab program.