The Centre provided an alternative report on Slovakia to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Under its mandate as an NHRI, the Centre conducts monitoring of implementation of international human rights instruments in the Slovak Republic. The Centre regularly submits alternative reports to the human rights monitoring mechanisms that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties by State parties and their obligations and address recommendations to improve the human rights situation in Slovakia.

In April 2023, in relation to the review of the 7th periodic report of the Slovak Republic on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, we submitted an alternative report with our findings to the UN Committee on the elimination of discrimination against women. In the alternative report, we addressed several human rights challenges in Slovakia:

1. We underline the need to adopt legislative amendments providing full compliance of the law on functioning of the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights with the Paris Principles, which represent international standards for ensuring the effective and independent functioning of national human rights institutions.
2. We also drew attention to the high prevalence of domestic and partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommend that in the case of emergency situations affecting women in particular, adequate measures are taken to ensure immediate personal access to medical and social services. At the same time, we recommend ensuring the effective functioning of intervention centers and helplines for victims of domestic violence.
3. In relation to illegal sterilizations, especially of Roma women, we draw attention to the need to ensure independent and effective investigation of all cases of illegal sterilizations and to ensure access to effective remedies for victims.
4. We also address the issue of involuntary sterilization of transgender persons as a requirement for legal gender recognitionand recommend that Slovakia provide affordable healthcare for transgender persons in line with international human rights standards and to refrain from legislative proposals restricting access to legal gender recognition.
5. We also highlighted the alarming state in the area of sexual and reproductive rights and recommend refraining from introducing legislative measures restricting access to abortions and diminishing existing rights in the field of sexual and reproductive health contrary to the principle of non-retrogression and ensuring access to safe abortions.

The Centre’s alternative report in relation to the 7th periodic report of the Slovak Republic on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is available for reading on this link.