Supported by: ERSTE Foundation

Project span: February 2009 – December 2009

Project team: Zora Bútorová, Jarmila Filadelfiová, Oľga Gyárfášová

Project objectives:

Having in mind that the year 2009 is a year of three elections in Slovakia (presidential elections, elections to the EP and regional elections), the main emphasis of the research will be on gender contracts in politics. The research will concentrate on:

a)      The profile of women with running for political office and their experience during this process, as well as their perception of growing diversity in gender relations; their personal “gender contracts” with their own partners at home and in public sphere; their views of gender (in)equality. We will include into our analysis (by means of semi-standardized interviews) the representatives of both successful and unsuccessful female candidates in three types of elections: presidential elections; elections to the EP; and regional elections.

b)      The attitudes of political party leaderships toward women aspiring for a political post (principles of forming the candidate lists, etc.).

c)      The character of relationship between female candidates and non-governmental organizations.

d)      Attitudes of potential voters toward female candidates, expressed also in their electoral behavior.

e)      Perception of female politicians among general population (This analysis will search for the interconnection between the “personal gender contracts” of respondents at their own workplace and in their families and between their attitudes toward female politicians and toward gender agenda.).

Outputs:

- Research study in Slovak and English

- Participation in common project activities of the „Gender – Transitions“ research group.