We celebrate the 30 years anniversary since the Velvet Revolution. Our country and our society moved forward to freedom, democracy, and equality. Despite these advances, we still deal with insufficient representation of women in public debates, in expert panels, in advisory bodies, and in the media. 

Therefore, voices of 50 % of the population are not represented in discussions which significantly influence the lives of everyone. In many fields (for example health service, social politics, or the issue of life-work balance), women are not invited to participate in decision-making about issues which have a several times bigger impact on their lives than on the lives of men.

WOMEN ARE (NOT)…

In the 21st century, it is no longer acceptable that 50 % of the population do not have an equal representation in all spheres of society, including public debates. We want to start solving this problem in the field that we understand the best – Foreign, European, and Security Policy. Let’s say stop to manels (panels occupied solely by men) and show that women are here and they want to be heard.

Common argument of the organisers of debates is that it ‘just happened’ or that women do not appear in expert areas or that it is too difficult to find them. We, as organisers of expert events know, that it is often complicated. Since 2017 we are, nevertheless, connecting and supporting women in the field of Czech Foreign, European, and Security Policy via an expert network which currently unites more than 150 women. Therefore, we know that women are here. They are, however, often overlooked, overworked, or they just face other, often structural, challenges (for example: care for children or elderly and the household which remains predominantly women’s responsibility in the Czech Republic), and sometimes they struggle with a lack of self-confidence.

SO HOW TO FIND THEM?

In 2020, we want to achieve the following with your help:

• we will create a Czech on-line database of female experts, thanks to which we will enable organisers of debates or panels and journalists to find experts on foreign-policy related topics;
• we will organise 5 workshops for female university students which will give the participants public speaking skills and boost their self-confidence.

Moreover, we will continue in connecting commencing scholars with experienced experts within our Network of Women in Czech Foreign, European and Security Policy and hence, creating a space for the support of women in the field and building an awareness about the fact that women exist and they deserve a place in the public discussion.

During 2020, we want to use your contributions to add 300 profiles of female experts to the database and prepare 75 university students for public speaking in our workshops.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

Equality between people is priceless, but the creation of an online database with portfolios of female experts and its administration will cost something, as will the preparation and organisation of the workshops with experienced lecturers.

We want to work on this with you 50:50! If we succeed at raising 70 000 CZK, we will contribute with the same amount from our own resources. However, we will not manage this without you. Your contribution will make the creation and first steps of the database and the organisation of workshops possible. We will address experienced experts, train students, and inform the public about them through our on-line database.