Czechia will celebrate International Women’s Day this Sunday, and although the day is recognized worldwide, it’s especially celebrated in post-communist countries. Men traditionally give flowers and sweets to the women they love while activists highlight issues of gender equality.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a super big tradition, but it’s very customary to always get women around you flowers on the day. So it’s kind of the same as Valentine’s day when all flower shops are usually sold out,” said Mikuláš Pícha, a second-year AAU student from Czechia.
The Soviet Union promoted International Women’s Day as part of its image of social equality and established it as a state holiday in 1965. While Czechia stopped officially recognizing it after the Velvet Revolution, dismissing it as a relic from the communist era, Women’s Day is still commonly celebrated.
But March 8 is not only about flowers, it became an opportunity to highlight the persistent discrimination women still face. In Czechia, the gender pay gap was estimated to be 18 % last year, compared to the European Union average of around 11 percent; and one in five Czech women has experienced domestic violence according to a 2026 STEM survey.
“Knowing the current situation, how things are changing and how women are being oppressed right now, I think it’s worth continuing to celebrate March 8,” said Dzvenyslava-Khrystyna Khomyshyn, a first-year AAU student from Ukraine.
Officially celebrated or not, International Women’s Day is a day to appreciate and thank the women around you while also recognizing the ongoing challenges they continue to face.
