Equal in theory, targets of attacks in practice. Publicly active women deserve greater support

Published in Hospodářské noviny on April 16, 2026. Moderator: Jaroslav Mašek Transcript by: Anežka Hesová

One of the causes of the growing aggression toward women involved in public life may be the influence of social media. “I am convinced that technology, the online space, and inadequate regulations and protective mechanisms are contributing to this increase,” noted Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková, the former government commissioner for human rights, during a debate in Hospodářské noviny. According to data from the organization Forum 50%, up to 80 percent of women active in public life face emotional attacks, in which someone criticizes their appearance or femininity in general, or attempts to silence, intimidate, ostracize, or humiliate them. Over 40 percent of female politicians experience sexualized forms of attacks, and roughly 30 percent of women ultimately leave public life for precisely these reasons.

The situation is similar in the media sector. “There are studies showing that women are increasingly withdrawing from the public sphere precisely because of these attacks. Our data indicates that one-third of women are considering leaving their editorial positions, and we find that deeply regrettable,” confirmed Jitka Adamčíková, founder of the association Women in Media.

A new initiative by the Bakala Foundation aims to help women active in public life not to give up; its founder, Michaela Bakala, introduced the initiative during the debate: “We’ve named it [y]nitiativa, and it includes the letter ‘y’ because in the Czech language, everything that women have created, conceived, accomplished, or defended is written with a ‘y’.”

The goal of the initiative is to draw attention to cases of gender-based attacks on politically active women, as well as to collect and publish relevant data, offer women legal support, and provide them with preventive education to prepare them for the pitfalls of public engagement. “We want to collaborate with legal professionals so that we can advise women on how to proceed in certain situations, such as how to file a criminal complaint,” explained Bakala. Many attacks go unreported because women are unfamiliar with the legal framework or lack the money and time to gather evidence and pursue legal action.

The [y]niciativa project is not intended to compete with existing projects addressing this issue, but rather to complement and connect them. “The problem is so big that more options for various forms of support certainly can’t hurt. On the contrary, I still think there isn’t enough support,” added Laurenčíková. In addition to the legal aspects mentioned, she believes psychological support is also important. “At times, you may have legitimate concerns about your own safety or the safety of your loved ones,” she noted during the debate.

Adamčíková added another point: “I think it’s important to collect data and real-life stories about what women face, including the specific names of women who are willing to come forward, because that always works best, and as a result, it can also draw men into the issue, since it doesn’t just affect women,” she emphasized. A combination of legal assistance, psychological support, training in crisis communication, and the sharing of specific case studies could, taken together, encourage women not to withdraw from public life or conform to roles imposed upon them when faced with difficult situations.

Sometimes it comes down to unwritten rules—a mosaic of small gestures and attitudes—that place women in a different position. “Political party leaders often fail to protect even their own female lawmakers. While women may make it into parliament or a ministry, they are still belittled there,” Bakala noted. It is usually the woman who is expected to make coffee, who has to listen to comments about her appearance, family life, intellect, or age. “For example, that she’s young and stupid, or old and stupid,” she said, listing Bakala’s nonsensical insults while avoiding the cruder, more explicit language that the attackers, however, do not hesitate to use.

According to her, the situation is also becoming more tense due to shifting political and social norms, with the “strong white man” and his conservative values making a comeback. “This makes it all the more necessary for a voice to be heard in society that counterbalances these extremely traditional views,” Bakala noted, adding that she hopes future generations of women will no longer have to fight again for rights that were won long ago and are enshrined in our law, simply because those rights are not being upheld.

“Women, just like men, have the right to choose who they want to be, what kind of life they want to live, and what roles they want to play in it. That is why we must unequivocally stand up to those who would dictate to them where their place in society is and how they should fulfill their roles,” concluded Laurenčíková.

You can watch the video debate on this page of Hospodářské noviny (Czech only): https://archiv.hn.cz/c1-67867080-teoreticky-rovnopravne-v-praxi-tercem-utoku-verejne-aktivni-zeny-si-zaslouzi-vetsi-podporu