She said exceptional attention was being paid in the European Parliament to valuing women’s work in the workplace and in the household.
Young women and girls should be made aware to raise their voices and take a more decisive role because their participation in this insecure world is more than essential, she added.
There is a war in Ukraine, insecurity on EU borders and women are expected to participate, not just to treat wounds and provide comfort, but to sit at the table when important and difficult decisions are being made, Zovko said.
“The world of today is chaotic, we don’t have resolute people and we lost a lot with the departure of Angela Merkel who, in a way, provided stability in the European Union,” she said, adding that she is proud that the presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commission are women, Roberta Metsola and Ursula von der Leyen, respectively.
Women earn 16% less than men
Women in the EU earn 16% less than men on average and, according to the Croatian Employment Service, they make up 56% of the jobless, said Danica Baričević, president of the Split-Dalmatia County Gender Equality Commission, which co-organised the conference.
She added that some Croatian political parties did not comply with legal requirements on women’s representation in politics and election slates.
Under the Gender Equality Act, women must make up 40% of the candidates on the slates.
Only 25% of the members of the Croatian parliament are women and only two Croatian counties are headed by women, Požega-Slavonia County (Antonija Jozić) and Karlovac County (Martina Furdek Hajdin).
In February 2021, MEPs warned that gender equality had not been achieved in even one EU member state.
The participants in the round table extended support to the women of Ukraine and their families who left their homes as well as to those who stayed to defend their country. They extended their support also at a protest against the aggression on Ukraine held in Split.
