Contributed by: Jana Olearnikova, Slovak National VAW Monitor

The civil association Pro Choice Slovakia has urged the Slovak government, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, to take all necessary measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the labor market.

The International Women’s Day has its origin in a tragic event in 1911, when 140 women died in the fire in Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The women’s emancipation movement then started to call attention to bad working conditions and the low pay of women.

Nevertheless, the situation is still not ideal nowadays, nearly 100 years later. As the recent accident in the town of Novaky has shown, women are still exploited at work and they still work in the worst conditions earning minimum wages. Slovakia is one of the EU member states with the most substantial difference in pay between women and men, an amount which reaches 25%.

“On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, we want to urge the government to systematically address the issues related to situation of women and to take all necessary measures to eliminate discrimination of women in labor market. We do not need formal political statements, but political will to take effective measures and their subsequent effective implementation.” said Olga Pietruchova, Chairwoman of ProChoice Slovakia.

Compiled from: Možnost volby: Odkaz MDŽ je stále aktuálny, Pro Choice Slovakia, Changenet, March 8, 2007