Surnames in Czech to aim for equality - 28th June 2021

Equality legislation currently under consideration may soon allow women in the Czech Republic to choose a non-gendered surname.

Women's surnames in the Czech Republic generally take the suffix "-ová". They follow a grammatical convention of gendering the masculine form, making Mr Novak’s sister ‘Ms Novaková’.

Yet many women see bias in having their gender stated in this way. They say a non-gendered surname would be preferable.

A new law, proposed by Helena Valková, a former Justice Minister, challenges what she calls the current "unjustified unequal position". And she points out that in the neighbouring country of Slovakia, formerly a single country with the Czech Republic, women are free to adopt a non-gendered surname.

The Chamber of Deputies has agreed Valková's legislation by a clear majority with 91 votes in favour to 33 against. The new bill would enable all women to choose whether they take the masculine or feminine forms of their surnames. However, Deputies rejected another proposal to remove all identification of gender from ID cards.

Not everyone welcomes the changes the new legislation may bring in. However, a recent survey suggests over a quarter of women are keen to use the masculine version of their surnames. Those opposed claim the existing practice conforms with the language’s grammatical system and any changes to the gender of surnames would be confusing.

Although the new proposals have been approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate must also approve the law. It will debate and vote on the fundamental questions the changes pose.