ZAGREB, March 8, 2019 – International Women’s Day, observed on 8 March worldwide, was marked in in Croatia on Friday, with senior officials, including President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, extending messages of congratulations, and various events highlighting the status of women in society.
Police in the coastal city of Šibenik were presenting roses to female drivers on Friday morning.
From 7 to 10 Mach, 30 cinemas in 27 cities and towns across the country are screening films about possibilities for change from the feminist perspective.
The feminist collective fAKTIV organises “The Night March – 8 March” under the slogan “Vociferous and Feisty” in Zagreb, Rijeka and Pula on Friday evening.
On Thursday, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said in her speech in the European Parliament that women and girls should have faith in themselves and fight for their rights.
“My message to women and girls is – have faith and believe in yourselves – in your value, your strength, your knowledge and your capabilities. Stand up for yourself and never give up. There is more and more of us each day, both women and men, who will support you. Your determination will make all remaining obstacles fall,” the Croatian president said in her address to the EP on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Also on Thursday, Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland commended Croatia for ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
When it comes to women’s involvement in education in Croatia, the proportion of women among undergraduate students is 56.7%, and as many as three fifths (60%) of graduates are women. In addition, 55% of those with a doctoral degree in 2016 were women, according to figures provided by the national statistical office.
The average gender pay gap in the EU is 16-17% while in Croatia it ranges between 8% and 10%, Labour and Pension System Minister Marko Pavić said recently.
The opposition SDP party considers under-representation of women in politics to be a symptom of an unhealthy democracy and a crisis of political representation.
Currently, every fifth lawmaker in the Croatian parliament is a woman. None of the present county prefects is a woman, and the number of female county deputy prefects has increased by 7 percent from 2013. In 2017, of the total of 555 mayors, only 50, or 9 percent, were women.
The Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP) and the Deloitte consulting company on Thursday published results of their survey called “Women in the Business World” which showed that it is still more difficult for women to get a promotion, nevertheless, the number of women in managing positions was growing slowly but steadily. The survey was conducted over the last three months of 2018 on a sample of 186 respondents in managing positions, of whom 117 are women.
More news about the status of women in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.
