Traditional gender roles fading in Czechia's households, survey finds

A new survey by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CVVM) reveals a significant shift in Czech attitudes toward the division of household responsibilities between men and women.

A growing majority believe that both partners should share duties equally. According to the poll, which surveyed 951 Czechs aged 15 and older between March and June, over three-quarters (77 percent) think that both parents should share the care of their children, up from just 60 percent four years ago and 50 percent at the turn of the millennium.

“In most activities, the opinion prevails that both partners should devote themselves equally to them. This view of most activities has expanded significantly over the past four years,” stated CVVM.

The survey also found that 54 percent of respondents believe both partners should share the responsibility of cooking at home, a significant increase from just 33 percent four years ago, when the majority (63 percent) still attributed cooking to women.

“The view of individual activities differs for women and men and also according to age,” the CVVM noted. “Women are more likely to think that both partners should share. People over 60 more often attribute education, career, home repairs, and the initiative in intimate life to men.”

However, the traditional division of labor persists in some areas, with 78 percent of respondents still believing that household repairs should be the responsibility of men.

Lucie Vavříková, a sociologist at CVVM, said the findings reflect a gradual shift in Czech society towards more egalitarian gender norms.

“The share of those who believe that men and women should do various activities in the same way is growing. It has risen more in the last four years than in previous periods,” Vavříková said.

The poll results come as the Czech Republic continues to grapple with entrenched gender inequalities, particularly in the labor market and unpaid domestic work. Experts hope the changing attitudes reflected in the survey will pave the way for more substantive progress towards true gender equality in Czech households.