Czech ombudswoman says women only rail compartments not discriminatory

Women’s only compartments in some trains operated by Czech state rail company, Czech Railways, does not amount to discrimination according to Czech ombudswoman Anna Šabatová.

The compartments amount to a legitimate move to try and increase the safety on women when travelling, she explained. Several complaints against the compartments, sometimes almost empty when the rest of the train is full, have been lodged with Šabatová’s office.

Czech Railways introduced the compartments in 2012 following the example of some foreign rail companies. Czech Railways said only a very few seats on trains were reserved exclusively in this way for women.