Progressive Slovakia will have quotas on women
For the first time, women will be guaranteed a 40 percent representation at the party’s May assembly – as will men.
Movement chairman Ivan Štefunko (Wednesday) and vice-chairmen Irena Bihariová (first from left), Zuzana Čaputová and Zora Jaurová on the shift of Progressive Slovakia in 2020. Photo – facebook Progressive Slovakia
Non-governmental Slovakia is introducing quotas in the party’s presidency. The party’s presidency has decided that women will be guaranteed a 40% representation in vice-presidential positions and at the level of members of the presidency – just like men.
This was stated on the social network by the feminist PSF Platform, which addresses gender equality issues within the party.
Quotas for women in the PS Bureau
“The forthcoming PS election assembly on May 7, 2022 will be a turning point in terms of gender equality in Slovak politics (and society),” the platform wrote. She described the quotas as a proven but simple and fast tool for increasing the representation of women in elected positions. “They can be used as a temporary tool to reduce inequalities,” she explained.
Progressive Slovakia currently leading Irena Bihari, who will no longer apply for the position of party leader. She will be replaced by Michal Šimečka, who is currently the vice-chairman of the PS. Šimečka, also the Vice-President of the European Parliament and the highest-ranking Slovak in the history of this institution, will lead Progressive Slovakia to the municipal, regional and parliamentary elections in 2024 as the people of the party.
The quotas will be the first time
According to the vice-president of the Zora Jaura party, the quotas are not related to the departure of Irena Bihari from the front. The principle of “quotas”, resp. balanced representation of men and women in the movement’s bodies was approved at the last assembly in May 2020. It was adopted by a large majority of delegates and will be implemented in the assembly for the first time this year, so it has nothing to do with Irena Bihari’s resignation as chairwoman, “she told Women in the City. Jaur with that balanced representation of men and women considers the party to be a fundamental value of a progressive policy and a path to better and fairer governance.
Quotas for the increase of women in politics in Slovakia do not work. As stated by the Euroactiv portal research in the European Union that the introduction has increased women’s representation by an average of ten years. Nevertheless, the mandatory quotas in parliament introduced by any EU member state do not apply.