Sociologist and Charter 77 signatory Jiřina Šiklová dies aged 85

Sociologist Jiřina Šiklová, a Charter 77 signatory who was known for her efforts in smuggling forbidden literature into Communist Czechoslovakia, has died, news site Aktuálně.cz reported on Saturday night.

Šiklová studied history and philosophy at Charles University and her activity was one of the catalysts for the Prague Spring movement. Following the crushing of that movement in 1968, she was forced to leave her position at Charles University and worked as a janitor for a few years.

She was known as a pioneer of Gender Studies in the Czech Republic, writing on the subject of women in Czech dissent, and helped found the Prague Gender Studies Center.