In 2007, the Department of Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities was established in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Several roles are under its responsibility, for instance, shaping government policy in the field of gender equality and equal treatment; drafting strategic and policy documents related to gender equality and equal treatment; tackling problems related to prevention and elimination of gender based violence against women; and coordinating horizontal priorities related to equal treatment in the structural funds. The Department of Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities presents to the government an annual report on gender equality.
On 8 April 2009, with the resolution No. 272/2009 the government approved the National Strategy of Gender Equality for the Period of 2009–2013, the fundamental policy document of the Slovak government in the field of gender equality. On the most general level, the document defined equality of women and men as the crosssectional, horizontal and general socio-political priority. The ambition of the national strategy is to incorporate the aspect of gender equality as a legally binding approach in the process of shaping and implementing policies at all levels and stages of management. In 2010, within the frame of the document for the national strategy, the National Action Plan (NAP) to Promote Gender Equality for the Period of 2010–2013 was adopted (approved on 12 May 2010 by the government resolution No. 316)3. It focuses on the four basic areas defined by the strategy: economy, social affairs and healthcare; family and government family policy; public and political life, participation and representation; research, education, media and culture. The basic objective of the NAP is to create the general environment, as well as effective mechanisms, tools and methods of implementing gender equality into all areas of society’s life. The strategy constitutes the fulfillment of objectives included by the Slovak Republic Government in the Manifesto for the Period 2006–2010, to promote in its policy equality between women and men and follow the Lisbon Strategy and other international conventions.
In November 2010, the Council of Government of the Slovak Republic for Human Rights, National Minorities and Gender Equality was set up as a permanent advisory body of the Government of the Slovak Republic. According to its statute, the council became a coordinating and consultative body of the government in the field of human rights, including the rights of national minorities and ethnic groups, and in the field of pursuing the principle of equal treatment and gender equality. The council has eight committees, one of them the Committee on Gender Equality.
