Preventing and combatting gender-based violence in Czechia – a success story?

Domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence remain a serious problem of Czech society. In Czechia, there is no definition of violence against women or gender-based violence against women, nor ‘gender’ enshrined in law or established in judicial practice. Similarly, no legislation, nor jurisprudence, acknowledges gender-based violence as a form of discrimination or violation of the principle of equality. The paper focuses on gender-based violence in the Czech Republic. It aims at mapping the current situation, identifying weaknesses in legislation as well as in practice and proposing some effective steps for the future. This paper aims at providing a broader view on the state of affairs in the field of gender based violence in order to keep the debate on this very important but neglected topic, alive. This paper draws a conclusion that in Czechia, a structural change is needed. Not only solid and robust legislation aimed at better protection of victims of gender-based violence should be adopted but also a change of mindset in the legal practice and judiciary should occur. EU law with some proposed changes could help a lot to make the abovementioned changes possible.