Not only a symbolic role: Czechia's next first lady aims to bring women's rights to the fore

The next Czech first lady, Eva Pavlová, is on a mission to raise awareness about discrimination against women in society. 

Following the victory of her husband Petr Pavel in the 2023 presidential election, Pavlová says that she wants to devote time to focusing on – and helping – single mothers in Czechia and tackling gender inequality, iDnes writes.

“Divorce is on the rise, single mothers are worse off today than we once were. I would very much like to work in this area, to show these women places where they can be helped and where that help works," said Pavlová.

Pavlová, who met her husband while at a military training base in 1985, believes that not a whole lot has changed for women since she herself went through a divorce when Pavlová already had had a child.

Pavlová hopes to look deeper into ways in which society can support women where they need it most. This can, for example, include follow-up care and counseling for women post-divorce, and encouraging communication for women who are in need. In her own words, she wants to be “more visible” than current first lady Ivana Zemanová.

Czechia’s first lady had not expected to be in this position, assuming instead that she and her husband after his military retirement would devote their time to their cottage, family, and grandchildren rather than tour the country in a presidential election campaign. As she tells iDnes, although her husband seems calm, she has “emotions to share.”

She has experience accompanying – and thereby representing – her husband on the national and international stages. During Pavel’s time as the Czech army’s Chief of General Staff, Pavlová was in charge of communicating with foreign militaries and military diplomats. As a woman, she hopes to represent not only her husband, but also all Czech women, on the world stage.

Pavlová notes that she has previously volunteered at a mediation center that dealt with marriage-related legal disputes, during which she was reminded of unpleasant memories.

A new figurehead of a country that still struggles to bridge the gender equality gap, Pavlová will hope to shed more light on women’s rights in the months and years to come.