August 21, 2023 – Women’s organizations and initiatives in Croatia have organized a public action under the title “Women’s safety is the responsibility of the state”, which will see Croatian women protesting in in 13 cities in Croatia.
“With this action, the women are bidding farewell to Nizama Hećimović who was brutally murdered. Her murder once again showed how dysfunctional the system is in protecting women from violence. We express our solidarity with the women in Bosnia and Herzegovina who are seeking greater effectiveness in protecting them from violence,” the statement of the Women’s Network of Croatia reads, which brings together several Croatian associations and initiatives that fight for women’s rights, writes Index.
“Violence against women is not a natural disaster. It is the most predictable crime precisely because of the long-term nature of violence by a close perpetrator and the failing of the protection system that precedes the murder.
The problem of violence against women is a universal problem. The reason for the escalation in the number of murders of women is the lack of a strategic approach to this topic and the absence of effective and systematic violence prevention measures.
October 1 this year will mark the 5th year since the Istanbul Convention came into force, and the state has not taken any steps to ensure its consistent application.
The Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, apart from not covering all forms of gender-based violence, caused women terrible harm by treating violence against women as a misdemeanor, equating it to riding without a ticket on a tram.
Through these public actions, women are asking the Croatian state to take responsibility and take concrete steps to protect women from violence. Successful models of combating femicide do exist!” they call for action.
They also presented their demands:
- that the government urgently establishes a working group that will work on adopting legal solutions to regulate femicide;
- defining femicide as a separate criminal offense in the Criminal Code;
- passing a law that will regulate all forms of violence against women and place the sanctioning of violence against women exclusively in the criminal sphere;
- the adoption of a National Strategy that includes all forms of violence against women, in accordance with the Istanbul Convention and with the funds provided for implementation in the state budget;
Places and times of the event:
- Zagreb: Ulica grada Vukovara 49, in front of the Ministry of Justice and Administration, 11 a.m. Contact: Women’s Network of Croatia 098/238308
- Split: Narodni trg (Pjaca), 4 p.m., contact association Domine and Center for Civic Courage: 098/1640682
- Rijeka: near the Town Hall on Korzu, 4 p.m., contact: association Pariter: 092/391-5959, 095/351-7577
- Osijek: Trg slobode, 4 p.m., contact: informal initiative Osijek: 099/4039884
- Pakrac: Ulica Hrvatske velikana – pedestrian zone, 1 p.m., contact: Delfin Pakrac: 098/1617623
- Mali Lošinj: Trg Republike Hrvatske, 10 a.m., contact: Center for Healthy Growing Up: 098/215858
- Beli Manastir: Trg slobode, 4 pm, contact: Oaza Beli Manastir: 098/1739973
- Vukovar: Dr. Franje Tuđman Square (near the clock), 10 a.m., contact: Women’s Association Vukovar: 099/8244462
- Virovitica: Trg Kralja Tomislava (by the clock), 4 p.m., contact: SOS Virovitica: 033/721 500
- Križevci: Trg J.J. Strossmayera, 10 a.m., contact: association Hera Križevci: 091/788 55 22
- Korenica: Trg sv.Jurja, 10:30, contact: women’s association Thread: 099/5141105
- Šibenik: Kraljice Jelena Street (beginning of the street), 4 p.m., contact: Šibenik Youth Association Š.U.M., KU Fotopoetika: 098/9555029
- Karlovac: near the Katzler Pavilion, 11 a.m., contact: Women’s group Karlovac “Korak”: 091/6172820.
- Zadar, Narodni trg, 4 p.m., contact: Women’s Initiative Zadar: 091/503 9482
- Trogir: Mali most, 4 pm, contact: Ad hoc women’s initiative Trogir: 091/5168615
- Korčula: entrance to the Old Town (Revelin tower), 4 p.m. contact: Feminist collective K’o žena and association Kap Korčula: 0989784440
- Dubrovnik: eastern entrance to the Old Town (Ploče bridge), 10 a.m., contact: Ad hoc women’s initiative Dubrovnik: 095 369 6611
- Glina: Bana Jelačić Park, 4 p.m., contact: People for People association: 098/9675 203
