Program

Tuesday, November 7, 2017 (Day 1)

9:00-9:30

Welcome Speech

○ Siri Ellen Sletner, Norwegian Ambassador to the Czech Republic
○ Robert Basch, Executive Director, Open Society Fund Prague, Czech Republic
○ Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, European Commission (video-message)

9:30-11:00

Introductory panel: Women´s Issue in Today´s World

The opening panel will set the scene for the conference. The focus of the discussion will be the need for increased attention to women’s rights in today’s world. The panel will describe and react to recent developments: the rise of openly misogynist and anti-women movements in the EU member states and the US that threaten women’s rights require a strong reflection and response. In this panel we shall analyse these developments. We will identify the forces working against women’s rights, including populism, and discuss how to address current sexism and misogyny in the public sphere which fuels a culture of gender inequality, discrimination and hatred against women. The geographical context (East/West/Nord Europe) and assessment would be an additional layer to the discussion.

○ Moderator: Jana Smiggels Kavková, Chair, Czech Women Lobby (ČŽL), Director, Fórum 50 %, Czech Republic
○ Slavenka Drakulic, Writer and Journalist, Croatia
○ Agnès Hubert, Founding Member and currently President of European feminist think-thank Gender5+
○Borbála Juhász, Ex-chair, Hungarian Women’s Lobby, Member of European Women’s Lobby Task Force on Central Eastern European, Baltic and Balkan States, Hungary

11:00-11:30

Coffee Break

11:30-11:35

Expert voice: Self-confidence, Education and Emancipation of Roma Women
○ Claudie Laburdová, Jileha Project Coordinator, Slovo 21, Czech Republic

11:30-13:00

Achievements of the Let´s Give (Wo)Men a Chance Programme

The Open Society Fund Prague, as a Programme Operator of the Let´s Give (Wo)Men a Chance programme, will present main outputs of the programme and the most inspiring results of projects supported by this programme. Moreover, the representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Office of the Government and independent evaluator will comment on whether and how the programme contributed to both programme areas.

○ Moderator: Barbora Hořavová, Let’s Give (Wo)Men a Chance Programme Manager, Open Society Fund Prague, Czech Republic
○ Olga Žáková, Let’s Give (Wo)Men a Chance Programme Coordinator, Open Society Fund Prague, Czech Republic
○ Radan Šafařík, Acting Director, Gender Equality Department, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic
○ Martina Štěpánková Štýbrová, Department for Family Policy, ‎Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic
○ Miroslava Drahotová, Evaluator and Consultant, HaskoningDHV Czech Republic spol. s r.o., Czech Republic

13:00-14:00

Lunch

14:00-14:05

Expert voice: The Change Is Born Outside The Capitals
○ Marta Lempart, Women’s Rights’ Activist and Leader of the Polish Women’s Strike (Black Monday), Poland

14:05-15:30

Main Benefits of Cooperation with Norwegian Partners (lessons learned)

This part will aim at best practices of bilateral cooperation in projects or programmes implemented within the EEA/Norway Grants – in Spain, Estonia, Slovakia or the Czech Republic. Which ways of cooperation work? What are the factors that facilitate or hinder bilateral relations? Is it possible to transfer Norwegian know-how or experiences to the Czech Republic or other countries?

○ Moderator: Terje Englund, Communications & EEA Adviser, Royal Norwegian Embassy to the Czech Republic
○ Frode Mortensen, Senior Sector Officer – Justice and Home Affairs, Financial Mechanism Office
○ Rachel Eapen Paul, Policy Director, The Norwegian Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud, Norway
○ Freja Ulvestad Kärki, Project Manager, Norwegian Directorate of Health, Norway
○ Belinda de León, Project Manager, Self-help for Immigrants and Refugees (SEIF), Norway

15:30-16:00

Coffee Break

16:00-17:00

Engaging Men and Boys in Furthering Gender Equality (talk show)

Already in 2015, during the Open Society Fund Prague´s conference, the role and the need for involvement of men in the promotion of equal opportunities and prevention of gender-based violence was emphasized. The work of men with men is considered as one of the key factors to face the problem. On the other hand, some experts describe the crisis of masculinity in our society. Is the involvement of men in support of women the key to success? What are the specific measures?

○ Moderator: Thordis Elva, Author, Journalist and Director, Word for Word, Iceland
○ Michael Kimmel, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies, Stony Brook University, USA, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities, United States

17:00-17:15

Closing of Day 1

○ Linda Štucbartová, Partner, Global Partnerships and Diversity Programs, Atairu, Czech Republic

19:30

Networking Reception with Launch of the Book 

It is possible to stop violence: Therapeutic work with adults who use violence in close relationships (Barbora Jakobsen and Marius Råkil)

What is violence and how to understand those who use violence in close relationships? What methods does violence-focused therapy use? How does domestic violence affect children and people’s health? The publication contains articles and chapters from books by leading experts and their colleagues in the Norwegian organisation Alternative to Violence. It introduces fundamental issues as well as the latest research findings on violence in close relationships and a chapter on how violence can affect helping professions. The text is complemented by case studies and is meant for everyone who works with families where violence occurs. For therapists it is a source of inspiration for how to work with adults who use violence. The book is helpful to psychologists, medical doctors or physicians, teachers, lawyers, social workers and students of these disciplines. The book was published by the Open Society Fund Prague and financed from Norway Grants.
The book will be launched by Klára Gajdušková, member of board of trustees of Open Society Fund Prague, an editor of book Barbora Jakobsen and her colleague from ATV Henning Mohaupt. 

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 (Day 2)

8:00-8:45

Registration

9:00-9:15

Opening Remarks

○ Tereza Vavrečková, International Relations Deputy Director, Central Financing and Contracting Unit, Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic

Expert voice: Gender-based violence in online space
○ Taran Knudstad, Senior Adviser, The Norwegian Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud, Norway

Expert voice: Fight for Equality. Fight against Gender-based Violence. For the Sake of Minority Women
○ Gerd Fleischer, Founder and Director, Self-help for Immigrants and Refugees (SEIF), Norway

9:15-10:30

Parallel Thematic Sessions on Equal Opportunities and Gender-Based Violence/ Domestic Violence – part I. 

Gender-based violence session:

A) Implementation and monitoring of Istanbul Convention

In the Czech Republic, the Istanbul Convention has already been signed. Now, we are in the preparatory process of its ratification. What comes next? And what is the experience of other countries with implementation and monitoring of the Istanbul convention?

○ Moderator: Gauri van Gulik, Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia, Amnesty International London
○ Barbora Burajová, Manager, Coordinating-Methodical Centre for gender-based and domestic violence, Slovakia
○ Branislava Marvánová Vargová, Head of Information and consulting center ROSA, psychologist, Czech Republic
○ Line Narsnes, Policy Director, Norwegian Ministry of justice and Public Security, Norway
○ Vesna Ratkovic, Member of Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women (GREVIO), Council of Europe

Equal opportunities session:

B) Women in leadership – when will they be there?

Quotas are empirically the most effective way of achieving a better gender balance. However, quotas are still not very popular. What about temporary specific measures such as quotas – is it needed to ‘kick-start’ women’s political representation? Why are women afraid of being stigmatized as ‘quota women’ and why women compete against women rather than campaign together to achieve greater influence?

○ Moderator: Lenka Simerská, sociologist, Equal Pay Expert of Project 22 % to Equality, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic
○ Adriana Dergam, Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainable Business, Vodafone Czech Republic
○ Monika Hilm, Disruptive Hotelier and Author, Czech Republic
○ Birger Husted, Member of the Board of Nordic Chamber, General Manager Husted s.r.o., Nordic Chamber of Commerce, Husted s.r.o., Denmark/Czech Republic
○ Heidi Nordby Lunde, Member of Parliament, The Conservative Party, Norway

10:30-11:00

Coffee Break

11:00-12:30

Parallel Thematic Sessions on Equal Opportunities and Gender-based Violence/ Domestic Violence – part II.

C) Therapeutic work with adults who use violence in close relationships: experiences and financing

This symposium will present and discuss approaches to interventions with men who use violence in intimate relationships. All panellists have been active in the field for many years, have seen and contributed to change in their national services for partner-abusive men, and work in different cultural and political contexts (the Czech Republic, Spain, Austria, and Norway). How are interventions with partner-abusive men conceptualized, organized and administered in these countries? How do decision-makers relate to the project of treating men who are violent? What impact do they have on the extent and quality of therapeutic services in the different countries? What is needed for further improvement of therapeutic services for men who use violence in intimate relationships? These are the questions we want to discuss in this panel.

○ Moderator: Henning Mohaupt, Specialist in Clinical Psychology, Altenativ Til Vold, Norway
○ Heinrich Geldschläger, Research director, Conexus Association (Barcelona), Spain
○ Heinrich Kraus, Forensic Psychotherapist, Männerberatung Wien, Austria
○ Barbora Jakobsen, Psychologist and Unit Manager, Altenativ Til Vold, Norway
○ Rosa Logar, Managing Director, Domestic Violence Intervention Centre Vienna / Anti-Violence Program, Austria
○ Radan Šafařík, Acting Director of the Gender Equality Department, the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

Equal opportunities session:

D) The Changes and Challenges of Feminist Movements in Europe and in the Czech Republic

New feminist movements and new generation of activists: Comparing how feminist movements have evolved over time, while exploring some of the current challenges for women’s rights. Worldwide, there has been an emerging conservative populist trend that directly contradicts the ideology of feminism. In some countries, this has for example led to women’s reproductive rights being limited. Meanwhile, fourth wave feminism is emerging, represented by new organizations and movements. What does modern feminism look like and what are the most pressing issues concerning women’s rights in today’s political climate?

○ Moderator: Thordis Elva, Author, Journalist and Director, Word for Word, Iceland
○ Jana Smiggels Kavková, Chair, Czech Women Lobby, Director, Fórum 50 %, Czech Republic
○ Joanna Maycock, Secretary General, European Women Lobby
○ Johanna Nejedlová, Co-founder, Konsent, Czech Republic
○ Natalia Skoczylas, Project Manager and Antiviolence consultant, Feminoteka, Poland

12:15-12:30

Summary of sessions

○ Martina Vojtíšková, Chair, Intervention Workers Association of the Czech Republic
○ Lucia Zachariášová, Open Society, Czech Republic

12:30-13:30

Lunch

A) World- Café for Project Promoters of the Let’s Give (Wo)Men a Chance Programme

Welcome word: Emiliana Simon-Thomas: Neuroscientist, Psychologist, Research Director, Greater Good Science Center, United States

○ Moderator: Renáta Trčková, Lecturer, Consultant, Couch, Česká cesta, Czech Republic

B) Programme Operators´ and Donor Programme Partners´ meeting – discussion on the impact of the programmes on equal opportunities and gender-based violence supported from EEA/Norway Grants and its evaluation (in cooperation with FMO)

○ Moderator: Frode Mortensen, Senior Sector Officer – Justice and Home Affairs, Financial Mechanism Office

Thursday, November 9. 2017 

Living Realities: Women in the struggle for the rights of oppressed groups – Studio ALTA

Speakers: ANNA GRUŠOVÁ, founder of SIMI
MAGDA FALTOVÁ, current director of SIMI
GERD FLEISCHER, founder of Norwegian organization SEIF and pioneer in fight against domestic violence in Norway