Gender equality is another horizontal ex ante conditionality. Its fulfilment consists mainly in the existence of administrative capacities for the implementation and application of EU gender equality law and the policy of gender equality in the area of ESI Funds. This conditionality must be fulfilled mainly through existence of measures, in accordance with institutional and legal frameworks of a Member State, to incorporate authorities responsible for support for gender equality during the preparation and implementation of programme including provision of consultancy on the issue of gender equality in activities related to ESI Funds. Such authority in the CR is the ombudsman. However, legal regulations do not oblige the ombudsman to fulfil the role of consultancy or educational authority for managing authorities of the state administration in the area of gender equality. Moreover, the ombudsman is completely independent of the executive power and is accountable for the performance of his or her function only to the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the CR.
Therefore, the majority of tasks related to the ex ante conditionality Gender equality is ensured by the Human Rights Section of the Office of the Government, also in cooperation with the managing authorities. To strengthen administrative capacity for efficient application and implementation of anti-discrimination law and policy in the field of ESI Funds, each MA is required to appoint a specific contact person who will systematically deal with the implementation and application of issues of gender equality in the respective operational programme, will be responsible for coordinating activities in this area within individual programmes and will closely cooperate with the Human Rights Section of the Office of the Government of the CR.
Contact details
In the Human Rights Section of the Office of the Government, for issues related to the ex ante conditionality Gender equality contact Lucia Zachariášová (zachariasova.lucia@vlada.cz, +420 296 153 535 or +420 777 467 571).