By taking part in the campaign, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Lusaka expresses its support for global efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls and recalls the Czech Republic’s key commitments in the field of human rights, gender equality and protection of victims of violence, including violence in the digital space.

Violence against women as a serious violation of human rights

Violence against women is gender-based violence directed against a woman because she is a woman, or violence that disproportionately affects women. It constitutes a serious violation of human rights and reflects structural inequality and discrimination against women. This category covers a wide range of acts: sexual violence including rape, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, forced abortion and sterilisation, trafficking in women for sexual exploitation, stalking, sexual harassment, femicide, as well as hate speech and criminal offences motivated by gender. Domestic violence also constitutes a form of violence against women.

According to UN Women data, almost one in three women over the age of 15 has experienced physical or sexual violence at least once in her lifetime, whether at the hands of an intimate partner or another person. Available surveys show that the overall situation has not fundamentally improved over the past decade. Violence against women and girls remains a global phenomenon, further exacerbated by intersecting crises of climate change, armed conflicts and economic instability. In many countries, regressive legislation is being adopted that weakens the protection of victims and strengthens the impunity of perpetrators, while movements openly attacking women’s rights, including antifeminist initiatives, are gaining ground.

Cyber violence is becoming an increasingly prominent form of abuse. It particularly affects women active in public life – human rights defenders, journalists, politicians and civil society activists – who are targeted by coordinated online attacks. These include harassment and threats, hate speech, doxing and the non-consensual dissemination of personal or intimate information, cyberbullying and other forms of pressure aimed at silencing them and punishing their public engagement. It is precisely this dimension that the current “Orange the World” campaign highlights.

Activities of the Czech Republic in international organisations

The protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights of women and girls, ranks among the key priorities of the foreign policy of the Czech Republic. In line with the updated Concept of Human Rights and Transition Promotion, the Czech Republic promotes equal opportunities for women and men in the United Nations and other international organisations and strives for the full and equal participation of women in public life, including their representation in decision-making processes.

The Czech Republic systematically speaks out against all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflicts and violence perpetrated in the online environment. It supports the work of UN Women as well as the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council, the Czech Republic consistently formulates recommendations addressing, inter alia, sexual abuse and trafficking in women, gender discrimination, female genital mutilation and sexual and gender-based violence, including domestic violence.

In 2025, at the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Czech Republic acted as a co-sponsor of the resolution tabled by Canada to step up efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, with a focus on prevention through the fulfilment of economic, social and cultural rights, and of the resolution tabled by Mexico and Chile extending the mandate of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls. The Czech Republic also joined a joint statement by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict on gender-based violence against girls in conflict, as well as a statement initiated by Cyprus condemning femicide.

During the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, the Czech Republic delivered a national statement and also associated itself with a joint statement by Colombia on gender-based violence. In the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, the Czech Republic again tabled its national resolution on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of digital technologies. Among other things, this resolution underlines that all forms of online violence are unacceptable, including sexual exploitation and abuse, stalking, cyberbullying, non-consensual sharing of intimate content, sexual and gender-based violence, arbitrary or unlawful surveillance, trafficking in persons, extortion, censorship and unlawful access to digital accounts, mobile phones and other electronic devices.

Charter against Domestic Violence and commitments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

On 10 December 2024, to mark Human Rights Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic solemnly joined the Charter against Domestic Violence. By signing the Charter, the Ministry became one of the institutions that declare zero tolerance for domestic and sexualised violence and commit themselves to the adoption of concrete internal measures.

The signatories of the Charter undertake, inter alia, to raise awareness among their staff about domestic violence, to create a working environment where these issues can be discussed openly, and to implement measures that support victims in difficult life situations – for example by ensuring that the workplace can serve as a safe space and a source of support. By acceding to the Charter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also contributes to the implementation of the Government’s policy statement, which emphasises the need to strengthen the protection of victims of domestic and sexualised violence. More information on the Charter is available (in Czech) at: https://www.chartaprotidomacimunasili.cz

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Lusaka shares these commitments and, within its means, contributes to awareness-raising on the prevention of violence against women and girls, both in relation to local partners and through internal communication. Joining the international “Orange the World” campaign is one of the visible symbols of these efforts and a reminder that there is no excuse for violence against women and girls – whether offline or online.