last updated August 17, 2004
Contributed by: Julia Spronz and Judit Herman, Hungary National VAW Monitors
EU norms in legislation concerning women’s social position have so far been mainly focusing on the issues of employment and social security. As an element of such tendency, the Council Directive 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion and working conditions has been partially implemented. However, sexual harassment, which is ruled in the directive of equal treatment, is still unregulated in Hungarian legislation. Due to the lack of proper legal rules, currently there is a complaint before the European Court of Human Rights filed by a woman victim of sexual harassment at the workplace from Hungary.
Further directives in the subject of equal opportunities for men and women are addressing, among others, the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, protection of pregnant women workers, non-discrimination against part-time workers and the burden of proof in cases of sex discrimination. The most recent legislation has been the Regulation (EC) No 806/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council
Regarding legislation on domestic violence, protection orders, and sexual harassment at the workplace, Hungary is far behind other EU countries, in spite of the partial requirement of harmonisation.