Hungary

Governmental equality bodies

Responsibility for gender equality at the national level is held by the Minister Responsible for Family Affairs (a Minister without a portfolio) who directly reports to the Prime Minister. The Minister has a broad scope of responsibilities, including family affairs, children’s affairs, youth, and protection of the elderly.^[7] Gender issues belong directly to the Women’s Policy Unit, which operates under the Department of Adoption and Women’s Policy (Örökbefogadási és Nőpolitikai Főosztály). The work of the department is directed by a Deputy State Secretary, responsible for Family Policies (Családpolitikáért Felelős Helyettes Államtitkár).

Responsibilities of the Department of Adoption and Women’s Policy include preparing legislative proposals in the areas related to women’s policy and monitoring their implementation. The Department also contributes to the coordination of governmental programs in the fields of women’s (and children’s) healthcare and mental wellbeing; family protection; pro-family policies; and reproductive health. The Department is further responsible for contributing to women’s policy-related tasks identified by the European Union and other international bodies.^[8]

The Women’s Rights Thematic Working Group (Nők Jogaiért Felelős Munkacsoport ) within the Human Rights Roundtable (Emberi Jogi Kerekasztal) is a consulting body, comprising representatives of 26 NGOs who are permanent members and representatives of nine NGOs who are invited members. The Working Group is headed by the Minister Responsible for Family Affairs and is responsible for discussing issues arising related to women’s rights and making proposals to decision-makers.

The Women’s Rights Thematic Working Group (Nők Jogaiért Felelős Munkacsoport^[9]) within the Human Rights Roundtable (Emberi Jogi Kerekasztal) in the Ministry of Justice is an ad hoc body for coordinating gender mainstreaming.

Independent equality body

Act CXXV of 2003 on Equal Treatment and the Promotion of Equality of Opportunities ensures compliance with equal treatment principles by state and non-state actors in Hungary. In the Act, the Equal Treatment Authority (Egyenlő Bánásmód Hatóság – EBH) was established and entrusted to deal with complaints related to a list of protected characteristics. The list of protected characteristics includes gender, as well as ethnic origin, race, skin colour, age, mother tongue, disability, state of health, motherhood (pregnancy) or fatherhood, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, social origin, financial status, religious or ideological beliefs, political or other opinion, part-time or fixed-term employment status, and membership of a representative organisation. The EBH can initiate proceedings against an employer/public institution at the request of an individual.

In January 2021, the responsibilities of the Equal Treatment Authority were taken over by the General Directorate for Equal Treatment, under the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights^[10]. The General Directorate continues acting under the Act CXXV of 2003 on Equal Treatment and the Promotion of Equality of Opportunities.

Parliamentary bodies

There are no representative elected bodies in Hungary nor is there any regular reporting to representative elected bodies on the progress of gender equality efforts. The Office of the Hungarian Parliament produces occasional briefs (i.e. provides fact-sheets) on gender-related topics such as work-life balance (in 2019^[11]), the impact of COVID-19 on women (in 2021^[12]).

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