Hungary and Gender Equality: a work in (very slow) progress

A blog from our Administrator Krisztina Les 

Since starting work with FiLiA Hague Mothers, I have developed a habit of starting my sentences and questions with ‘In my context…’ when speaking with my new colleagues. This phrase helps me frame discussions based on my reality and background as a feminist working in Hungary with a women’s rights organisation, particularly in the areas of reproductive rights and supporting victims of domestic violence.

While many aspects of life as a woman in a patriarchal society are similar in the UK, coming from a country that consistently ranks near the bottom in the European Union for gender equality, presents its own unique challenges. The systemic gender inequality, together with an extremely pro-natalist government and deeply rooted misogyny, creates a bleak reality for women across the country.

As a starting point, we have one of the lowest percentages of women in political leadership. Women hold only 14% of parliamentary seats, and the country’s approach to women’s issues is increasingly framed through a narrow lens of family policy. The Orbán government prioritises traditional family structures, defining the role of women primarily as mothers and caregivers. As a result, gender equality initiatives have been systematically dismantled, and women’s issues are relegated to being of secondary importance within family policy frameworks.

Then comes our government’s next shame: the refusal to ratify the Istanbul Convention. The Istanbul Convention is a treaty designed to combat violence against women, but it has been demonised by the government and Orbán as promoting ‘political hysteria’. Although Hungary signed the Convention in 2014, its ratification was rejected under the disguise of protecting Hungarian values. Orbán’s rhetoric dismisses the Convention as a threat to national sovereignty, while perpetuating the harmful narrative that intimate partner violence is ‘genderless’.

For women in Hungary domestic violence could not be less ‘genderless’. It is a pervasive issue that remains seriously under-addressed. It’s estimated that one in five women has experienced physical or sexual violence from their partners. Restraining orders are limited in scope, harder and more complicated to get, and judicial systems often fail to hold perpetrators accountable. Victims are frequently re-traumatised by victim-blaming attitudes among police and legal professionals.

Not surprisingly, reproductive rights are also under attack. Our restrictive abortion laws require women to attend two mandatory counselling sessions aimed to convince them to continue with their pregnancy. In 2022, the government introduced a requirement for women to listen to the foetal heartbeat before obtaining an abortion, a measure widely condemned as coercive and demeaning. Access to contraception remains limited, with no state subsidies for emergency contraception and barriers to obtaining prescriptions.

Feminist organisations like PATENT Association face relentless opposition, including vilification in pro-government media. The most famous case of this was when the government labeled everyone working for a civil society organisation as the agent of György Soros and, as such, a threat to our country. Soros is the founder of Open Society Foundations which has financially supported many civil society organisations in Hungary. Since then, civil society groups face marginalisation and complete exclusion from meaningful policy consultations.

Despite these oppressive conditions, Hungary’s feminist movement continues to fight for change, especially for women. The fight for gender equality in Hungary is not just about policy changes; it is a fight for dignity, justice and the basic human rights of women.