Prague Panels Evaluate the Status of Women in the 21st Century

Prague, Czech Republic – To mark International Women’s Day, UPF-Czech Republic organized a conference entitled “Women in the 21st Century” at CEVRO University in Prague on March 9, 2026. The conference was well attended and attracted several first-time participants.

Two panels discussed the status of women throughout history from the perspectives of religion, politics, economics, family and social life. Topics included an examination of feminism as to whether it has solved problems, the relationship between feminism and parenthood, and the outlook for women in the future.

Mr. Jan Fingerland, a Czech publicist, journalist, writer and radio commentator, spoke about the status of women based on the stories in the Book of Genesis. He commented that, in Western tradition, there is a tendency to underestimate women or subordinate them to men based on rather negative interpretations of the biblical texts, especially in three areas: the creation of man and the origin of woman; guilt and disobedience; and punishment and sin.

The Bible says that God created humankind as male and female, and that all of creation exists within the polarity of yang and yin. God said that it is not good for man to be alone, and so He gave him a helper who is his equal. Woman was created last, as God’s finest creation. However Western culture emphasizes the story of woman’s creation from Adam’s rib, which has led to the subordination of women, Mr. Fingerland said.

Although the act of eating the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was for both an act of disobedience, Western culture has developed the idea that woman should bear the brunt of punishment for their wrongdoing.

Dr. Roman Joch, director of the Civic Institute, spoke about gender equality in the United States and the American activist Ms. Phyllis Schlafly, who supported gender equality but opposed the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. She argued that this amendment would strip women of gender-based privileges, including Social Security benefits for “dependent wives,” separate restrooms for men and women, and exemption from mandatory military service, or conscription. The amendment was not ratified at that time.

Mag. Nina Nováková, a former member of the Chamber of Deputies (2017–2025), stressed the complementary nature of the relationship between men and women. Women should be protected because of their unique ability to bring new life into the world, she said. This is their primary privilege. Equality should prevail in the realm of political and civil rights, which has not always been the case throughout history.

Ms. Nováková highlighted dangerous trends toward the violent enforcement of reproductive and sexual rights, including abortion, surrogacy and euthanasia. She mentioned the risks of shifts in terminology and the meaning of concepts such as ideology versus ideals, ethics and science, or gender versus sex. She pointed out that gender is being confused with biological sex. Often, to “keep up with men,” women suppress their own instincts and natural gifts, but this ultimately does not lead to true freedom, Ms. Nováková concluded.

Dipl. Ing. Lubica Magnusson, president of Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) in Slovakia, gave the audience a brief overview of the history of the women’s movement in her country. She mentioned the first women’s associations, which were established as early as the late 19th century, and highlighted some of the prominent figures who worked in this field. She briefly discussed the activities of WFWP in Slovakia and internationally, particularly within the framework of the United Nations in Vienna. The founder of WFWP International, Dr. Hak Ja Han, inspired the organization’s guiding motto: “History calls for reconciliation, compassion, love, service and self-sacrifice. Today’s problems cannot be solved by the logic of power... Our current problems can only be solved by the logic of love.”

Dr. Juraj Lajda, president of UPF-Czech Republic, spoke on “Patriarchy-Matriarchy and What Comes Next?” Historically, he said, the core of patriarchy is the assumption that men and their experience of the world are the standard against which women should be measured, the resulting relationship of domination being perceived as natural.

Matriarchy is not merely the opposite of patriarchy, he said, assigning women a higher social status than men. Matriarchy is typically based on the mother-offspring relationship and emphasizes fundamental and universally important maternal values: providing nourishment, caring for the household, and the sense of love. Sociologists note that, in general, women are more cooperative and therefore more open to agreement and compromise.

Monotheistic religions especially are dominated by a patriarchal system, portraying a God with masculine characteristics. But both women and men have their own character and uniqueness, Dr. Lajda said. Comparing ourselves to one another and trying to imitate or copy each other only creates further frustration. A man can feel like a real man without a woman feeling that her value has diminished, and a woman can feel strong as a woman without a man feeling that his value is threatened, he said.

The conference was well-received by the audience, who appreciated the high quality of the presentations and the speakers’ expertise.

By Juraj Lajda, President, UPF-Czech Republic March 9, 2026