Gender Equality in the Workplace: Evaluating State of Women's Leadership in the Czech Republic and Germany

This bachelor’s thesis examines gender equality within leading Czech and German corporations operating in the Czech Republic. The primary objective is to investigate the status and approach to gender equality for women in leadership roles or aspiring to leadership positions. The focus on top-tier corporate entities is deliberate, as these large firms often serve as benchmarks and role models for other market players. The comparative analysis between the Czech Republic and Germany is natural due to the cultural proximity and economic ties shared by both countries. The theoretical part synthesizes research on gender equality within a broader context, defining the scope of diversity and summarizing global concepts and models addressing diversity management, corporate culture and its influence on gender equality. The practical part involves an analysis of public data and in-depth interviews with selected women from both countries. The research refers to the understanding of women in leadership roles. It explores and highlights disparities in gender equality within the workplace, specifically focusing on women in the leadership positions or aspiring to be leaders in privately-owned top corporations in both the Czech Republic and Germany. It reveals that the gender equality situation within the top Czech and German corporations is more positive than portrayed in public sources. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the Czech Republic and Germany share many similarities in terms of gender equality. The key findings of the research show that while there are clear gender equality related commitments of management in Czech and German top corporations, women would still need to be empowered with concrete measures in the areas of work-life balance, flexible working hours and taking care of their families.