Gender Studies, o.p.s.

What Gender Studies, o.p.s. does

Gender Studies, o.p.s. is a Czech non-governmental non-profit organization (obecně prospěšná společnost) founded in 1991 and headquartered at Masarykovo nábřeží 8, Prague 2. Operating with a five-person team under a co-director model adopted in September 2025 (Agáta Hrdličková and Markéta Štěpánová), the organization functions as an information, consultation, and educational center focused on gender relations, equal opportunities, and the status of women and men in Czech society. It holds no proprietary technology product and operates instead as a service and content organization.

Its portfolio spans five core service lines: (1) the Knihovna Jiřiny Šiklové, the only feminist public library in the Czech Republic with approximately 9,000 volumes and a 150 CZK/year membership model; (2) professional training and workshops (Školení) on gender stereotypes, prevention of sexualized violence, LGBTQ+ topics, and boundary-setting for universities, schools, and corporates; (3) organizational gender audits (Genderové audity); (4) a free legal advisory service (Poradna) on discrimination and work-life balance run by counsel Anna Řídká; and (5) the annual Firma roku: Rovné příležitosti competition recognizing employers promoting equal opportunity, organized since 2004. Additional outputs include the Paměť žen educational multimedia platform (developed with partner solidpixels under EU ESF funding), the Zpravodaj newsletter, a digital Feministická Praha map, an online encyclopedia of the Czech women's movement, and the annual Girls Day career fair launched in 2013.

The organization is sustained by a hybrid revenue model: EU and EEA project grants (EHP Funds, European Social Fund), fee-for-service training and audit contracts (priced individually), library memberships and ancillary fees (reprographic services, exhibition tours, non-EU user deposit), donations through Darujme.cz, and in-kind corporate partnerships from competition sponsors such as Škoda Auto, Vodafone Czech Republic, and Tesco Stores ČR. Customer segments span corporates, educational institutions, government bodies, civil society NGOs, and individual members of the public. Gender Studies is a member of Česká ženská lobby, Pride Business Forum, and the Sdruženy collective, and has publicly flagged financial sustainability challenges as a continuing operational risk.

Name

Gender Studies, o.p.s.

Legal name

Gender Studies, o.p.s.

Website

https://genderstudies.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gender Studies, o.p.s. is a Czech non-profit founded in 1991, operating the country's only feminist public library alongside corporate training, gender audits, free legal counseling, and the annual Firma roku equal-opportunity competition, serving corporates, schools, government, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender Equality Consulting and Education

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) & Belonging Consulting (BPAHAGAJ), Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)

Keywords

• Gender equality consulting
• Workplace diversity training
• Gender equality audits
• Feminist library services
• Equality education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Project Grants: EU and government project funding for gender equality initiatives and organizational capacity building
2. Training and Consulting Services: Professional training sessions, workshops, and consulting services for organizations on gender equality, work-life balance, and diversity topics
3. Gender Audits: Gender equality audits for companies and organizations assessing equal opportunity practices
4. Library Membership: Annual library membership fees for access to feminist literature and resources
5. Donations: Public donations through Darujme.cz platform and direct support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Gender Studies, o.p.s. is a Czech non-profit organization that delivers gender equality consulting, professional training, and gender audits to companies, universities, schools, and government institutions. It also operates the only feminist public library in the Czech Republic (Jiřina Šiklové Library, ~9,000 volumes), a free legal advisory service on discrimination and work-life balance, and the annual Firma roku: Rovné příležitosti competition recognizing employers promoting equal opportunities.

Product overview

Gender Studies, o.p.s. is a Czech non-governmental non-profit organization serving as an information, consultation, and educational center on gender relations and equality. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on gender equality promotion. Core offerings include: the Jiřina Šiklová Library (Knihovna Jiřiny Šiklové) — a feminist public library with approximately 9,000 volumes; professional training services (Školení) and gender audits for organizations; a free legal advisory service (Poradna) on discrimination and work-life balance; and the annual 'Firma Roku: Rovné příležitosti' competition recognizing employers promoting equal opportunities. Additional products include: the 'Paměť žen' educational platform on Czechoslovak history from women's perspectives; the 'Zpravodaj Rovné příležitosti v souvislostech' newsletter; 'Feministická Praha' digital map of women's history sites; an online encyclopedia of the Czech women's movement; and the annual Girls Day career event promoting STEM fields for girls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Knihovna Jiřiny Šiklové: The Jiřina Šiklové Library - the only feminist public library in the Czech Republic, housing approximately 9,000 volumes of academic publications and queer/feminist fiction. Located at Masarykovo nábřeží 8, Prague.

Products and services

• Knihovna Jiřiny Šiklové (KJŠ) — Feminist Public Library The only feminist public library in the Czech Republic, located at Masarykovo nábřeží 8, Prague 2, housing approximately 9,000 volumes of scholarly publications, queer and feminist fiction, archives, and special collections including the Archive of Eliška Krásnohorská. Open to members (150 CZK/year) and visitors with services including reprographics, interlibrary loans, and guided tours.
• Školení (Professional Training Services) Customized professional training sessions delivered to universities, companies, primary and secondary schools, covering gender stereotypes, feminism, gender-sensitive language, prevention of sexualized violence, LGBTQ+ topics, and boundary setting. Topics are adapted to audience (children, adolescents, students, working professionals, teachers).
• Genderové audity (Gender Audits) Organizational audits that evaluate the state of equal opportunities for women and men within companies and institutions. Identifies reserves and provides recommendations for improvement. In 2018, over 3,400 employees participated in audit processes.
• Poradna (Free Legal Advisory) Free legal consultation service addressing discrimination based on sex and/or age and work-life balance issues, operated in collaboration with the Sdruženy collective and managed by legal expert Anna Řídká. Topics include parental leave, employment contracts, dismissals, part-time work, discrimination, self-employment (OSVČ), and vacation rights.
• Firma Roku: Rovné příležitosti (Company of the Year: Equal Opportunities) Annual awards competition recognizing employers who actively support equal conditions, workplace diversity, and employee needs across different life phases. Organized since 2004 with varying annual themes such as work-life balance, equal pay, digitalization, and paternity support. Free participation with optional paid detailed feedback tiers.
• Paměť žen (Women's Memory) Educational Platform Interactive multimedia educational platform presenting 20th century Czechoslovak history from women's perspectives using oral history methodology. Features audio interviews, animated videos, games, and quizzes designed for secondary school students and teachers. Developed by partner solidpixels and co-financed by the EU European Social Fund.
• Girls Day Czech Republic Annual career day event for girls aged 15–25 promoting interest in technical and ICT (STEM) fields. Organized under the international 'Girls in ICT Day' framework, with main partner Škoda Auto providing 3D virtual reality experiences and factory department tours. Participation is free for attendees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,400 employees participated in audit processes in 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pride Business ForumcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Gender Studies became a proud member of Pride Business Forum, a platform supporting LGBTQ+ people in the workplace. The partnership was initiated at a fundraiser that raised over 50,000 CZK for the grassroots project Jiná hora supporting LGBTQ+ people in Kutná Hora.
• solidpixelscoreTechnology or Integration · 17 November 2023solidpixels developed the educational platform for the 'Československo v paměti žen' (Czechoslovakia in Women's Memory) project, creating an interactive multimedia platform for teaching 20th century history from women's perspectives. The platform provides audio stories, animated videos, and texts for secondary school students.
• Dílna Organic NET, s.r.o.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019Project partner for 'Československo v paměti žen' educational material creation project running from December 2019 to November 2022, co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund.
• Česká ženská lobbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGender Studies is a member of Česká ženská lobby (Czech Women's Lobby), a network of women's organizations. The organization participated in preparing CEDAW shadow report reviewed by UN committee and nominated Alena Wagnerová for the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.
• Škoda AutominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain partner of Girls Day career day for girls since 2019, providing 3D virtual reality experiences and tours of Škoda departments to encourage girls to consider technical careers.
• Vodafone Czech RepublicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner of Girls Day career fair and competition partner of Firma roku 2025. Firm won 1st place in Firma roku 2024 for work-life balance support.
• Tesco Stores ČRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner of Firma roku 2025 competition and placed 3rd in 2024 competition. General partner of 16th edition of the competition.
• Svaz personalistů České republikyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional partner of Firma roku competition, providing expert jury members and professional oversight of the award evaluation process.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UN Women: UN entity dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment. Comparable as a much larger international organization working on the same mission and engaging with the same EU policy machinery.
• Catalyst: Global nonprofit helping companies advance women in the workplace through research, advisory, and corporate services. Comparable as a larger established player in workplace gender-equality consulting and benchmarking.
• European Women's Lobby: Pan-European coalition of women's rights organizations headquartered in Brussels. Comparable as a larger umbrella network that Gender Studies' Česká ženská lobby membership feeds into.

Regional players

• Aspekt (Slovakia): Slovak feminist non-profit offering gender studies library, educational resources, and advocacy services. Regional peer with very similar library-plus-advocacy model, serving the neighboring Slovak market.

Direct peers

• Center for WorkLife Law (UC Hastings): US-based research and advocacy organization focused on workplace gender equality and work-life balance. Comparable in mission and consulting/training delivery model, though serving a different geography.
• Feminist Majority Foundation: US feminist advocacy and education nonprofit running research, public education, and advocacy programs. Comparable in mission and combination of advocacy, education, and resource-library functions.
• Česká ženská lobby: Czech Women's Lobby coalition of women's rights organizations — both Gender Studies and this network operate in the same advocacy and policy-influence space in the Czech Republic, with significant overlap in coalition membership.
• Sdruženy: Czech feminist collective whose member Anna Řídká runs Gender Studies' legal counseling Poradna. Direct peer and operational collaborator on legal counseling for discrimination and work-life balance.
• Konsent, z.s. Czech NGO working on prevention of sexual harassment and sexual violence, with education and corporate training programs. Direct peer given overlap in workplace training and gender-violence prevention services.
• ProFem: Czech non-profit focused on gender equality, women's rights, and prevention of gender-based violence. Direct peer as a domestic Czech NGO delivering training, consulting, and advocacy in the same thematic space as Gender Studies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GenderStudiesPraha
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gender-studies
• Instagraminstagram.com/knihovna_jiriny_siklove

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gender Studies, o.p.s.