On March 8, International Women's Day is celebrated globally to bring awareness to the social, political, economic, and cultural achievements of women. Slovak women have been guaranteed legal equality since 1920. Nevertheless, the holiday is an opportunity to continue the debate on the real status of equal opportunities. 

On average, women still earn less than men, are less represented in positions of power and even in public discourse, are the target of gender-based violence, and carry out most caretaker and unpaid work. 

There are movements and efforts trying to call attention to the problem and improve the situation. These include efforts related to grammar. Namely, Slovak language relies on masculine generics, meaning the use of masculine grammatical gender in reference to mixed groups. But this can lead to male bias in people's mental gender representation. 

Public institutions have adopted gender-aware alternative forms to correct this issue. For example, the public transport company DPB now clearly specifies that it looks for both male and female drivers. 

Of course, the debate goes further. At the beginning of 2023, more than 200 men and women in science indicated that the title of the Slovak Scientist of the Year award should be changed to  be more gender neutral. Even though 40 percent of the research workforce in Slovakia are women, not a single one has won the award in the last 25 years. Only three were given the award during the years a gender-specific category was held. 

There are many excellent Slovak women in science. For example, last year toxicologist Helena Kanďárová received the prestigious EUROTOX Lecture Award for her outstanding contributions. Chemist and material scientist Mária Omastová has also made a name for herself internationally. Space engineer Michaela Brchnelová worked for the ESA and an asteroid was named after her. 
The Slovenka weekly has organised the Slovak Woman of the Year poll since 2009 with the aim of highlighting women who contribute to the development and improvement of the country. There are nine categories that encompass several areas such as sport, culture, education, healthcare, or business and management. The poll receives wide media coverage.

The highest political positions in Slovakia have been held by women. Iveta Radičová was the first woman to become  prime minister, and now Zuzana Čaputová is the first woman to hold the position of President in Slovakia. Čaputová was rated the most trusted politician in the country in many polls. Her presidency is marked by a strong and resolute leadership, and advocation for many issues including equality, environment and LGBT rights. Since 2020, she has repeatedly appeared on Forbe’s list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women. The New York Times even consider her a suitable candidate for the next secretary general of NATO.

A lot has to be done in order for women to achieve more than just legal equality. The world will be a better place to live in if stereotypes are overcome along with the introduction of social and working conditions that do not disadvantage any segment of society.