The House of Human Rights Zagreb published the Report Civil rights in Croatia: overview of the status in 2018, which gives an insight into violations, problems, challenges and controversies in the area of protection and promotion of human rights during 2018.
The Report shows that the trend of strong social polarisation between conservative and liberal values was continued in 2018. Rights for reproductive and sexual health of women, rights of LGBTIQ+ persons and rights of national minorities were targeted by negative social tendencies in 2018.
Recommendation on preventing and combating sexism is the first document ever which contains the internationally accepted definition of sexism, and states “that sexism is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between women and men”, which leads to discrimination “on the grounds of sex and/or gender [which] constitutes a violation of human rights”. It notes that “sexism is linked to violence against women and girls”, and acts of “everyday” sexism create a climate of intimidation and fear.
The Recommendation provides guidelines for preventing and combating sexism and measures for their implementation in the judiciary system, and for the enhancement of awareness of sexism in the society, at the working place, in the education, culture, sports and advertising and media.
It is expected of EU Member States to monitor progress of the implementation of the Recommendation and to inform regularly the Gender Equality Commission of the Council of Europe of the measures taken and progress achieved.
Icelandic women‘s organizations and labor unions are calling for a women‘s strike on October 24th 2018, to protest gender income inequality and violence and harassment in the workplace.
Their demand is Don’t Change Women, Change the World!
In recent months, stories of harassment, violence and injustice women suffer in the workplace have been shared on social media under the hashtag #MeToo. These stories have made it clear that fight for gender equality in the workplace cannot only be about equal pay, but must also be about safety in the workplace.
Women should be safe at work and safe at home. The focus now is to put pressure on companies and the government to change how they deal with misogyny, harassment and violence in the workplace and to make sure all employers have regulations and protocol for when incidents occur.
Women‘s solidarity and women‘s protests in Iceland have driven social change. This is the sixth time that women in Iceland have gone on a strike for gender equality under the banner of Kvennafrí (Women’s Day Off). They walked out in 1975, 1985, 2005, 2010 and 2016. However, even if they have made great gains in the past four decades towards gender equality, they still have not reached full equality.
On Semptember 1, 2018. started the implementation of the european project- „Sexual Violence – Educational and Prevention program“ (SVEP Program).
The project leader is the Women’s Room, while the partner organizations on the project are the Ombudsman for Children of the Republic of Croatia, Blue Phone, Bernadette Frankopan Ogulin High School, Daruvar Economic and Tourism School, Osijek Crafts School, Osijek Medical School, Zagreb Food Technology School and Ivan Svear High School Ivanic grad. The project is being implemented for a period of two years, financed by the European Commission for the Prevention and Suppression of Gender-Based Violence and Violence Against Children, REC-AG-2017/REC-RDAP-GBV-AG-2017.
The project will last 24 months, and will be implemented throughout the Republic of Croatia.
The general aim is to prevent sexual violence against children through educational activities, capacity building and awareness-raising. Specific objectives of the project are: to increase the capacities of relevant stakeholders and experts in the area of prevention of sexual violence against children by increasing the level of knowledge and strengthening multisectoral cooperation; develop, implement and evaluate the impact of the SVEP program, reduce the risk of sexual violence among students; to actively involve children in the prevention of sexual violence and to sensitize and alert the general public to the issue of sexual violence against children.
Coordinator of the Women’s Room – The Center for sexual rights, Maja Mamula, participated in the 22nd ISPCAN “Child Protection in the Changing World” congress, held from 2 to 5 September 2018 in Prague.
A member of the Regional Network, whose co-founder is the Women’s Room, Dušica Popadić, Incest Trauma Center, Belgrade, facilitated the “Child and teen mental health” session first day at the ISPCAN congress and second day at the ISPCAN congress she held a lecture “Childminders concerned with sexual assault issues in Serbia alert about their fundamental right protected as human rights defenders “.
It is our pleasure to invite you to the roundtable as part of the project “Stop Violence and Hate speech on the Internet” conducted by Women’s Room – The Sexual Right Center in partnership with the Primary School Dr Vinko Žganac, Zagreb and the Primary School Matko Laginja, Zagreb. Project is financially supported by the National Foundation for Civil Society Development.
The round table will be held on June 26, 2018 in Ozaljska 16, Zagreb from 13:00 pm to 15:00 pm.
The purpose of the project is to combat hate speech and sexual violence on the Internet and social networks, and as the most important results of the implementation of the project “Stop Violence and Hate Speech on the Internet”, we would highlight the implementation of the Research and Recommendations and the online campaign which will be presented on the Round Table.
Speakers on the round table are:
- Ph.D. Maja Mamula, Women’s Room Coordinator, on Sexual Violence Over and between of Children and Youth
- Kristina Mihaljević, member of Women’s Room, presentation of project and project results
- Senka Sekulić Rebić, psychologist, Head of the Center for Victims of Sexual Violence, on electronic violence with focus on hate speech and electronic sexual violence
- Dubravka Guszak Novosel, social educator at Primary School Dr Vinko Žganac, on the issue of daily work with students and the needs of the educational system
- Mia Gonan, Zagreb Pride, on hate speech and Internet violence directed to LGBTIQ people.
The Round Table is intended for all interested representatives and institutions and civil society organizations active in the field of the protection of the rights and interests of children, education and combating hate speech and violence against and among children and young people as well as the wider public. We hope you will respond to our call and work with us to prevent hate speech and violence on the Internet and social networks.
For more information, please contact us via e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org .
June 19. marks International day for the elimination of sexual violence in conflict. The United Nations General Assembly declared this day to raise public awareness of the need to end the sexual violence that occurs during armed conflicts and honor victims of sexual violence and to all those who devoted their lives to preventing this kind of violence.
This date was chosen because on the same date in 2008, the UN Security Council in its resolution 1820 condemned sexual assault as a war tactic and proclaimed it an obstacle to peace building.
The term “sexual violence in conflict” refers to rape, sexual slavery, forcible prostitution, forcible pregnancy, forcible abortion, forcible sterilization, forcible marriage or any other similar form of sexual violence to women, men, girls or boys who is directly or indirectly associated with some conflict.
The biggest protest for human rights – The 17th Pride Parade of LGBTIQ People and Families Zagreb Pride gathered on Saturday , June 9, 2018 over 10 000 people. The gathering began at 15:00pm at Roosevelt Square, where later was read this year’s proclamation of Pride Parade.
This year’s procession was held in the wake of the attacks on women, transgender people, families and children, minorities, attacks on all aspects of gender and other diversity, which, according to the organizers, require visibility 365 days a year, now and immediately!
The procession, which was greeted and supported by citizens, arrived at the Ribnjak Park where concert at Sabe and Le Zbora were held, and this was the formal end of the program of this year’s Pride of Pride.
Strategic meeting of national women’s and feminist organizations was held on May 12. and 13. 2018. in organization by Mediterranean Women’s Fund – MedWF in Zagreb.
The purpose of the meeting was to create space for sharing experiences and discussing common strategies and to better connect feminist organizations in the Republic of Croatia.
The meeting attended more than 20 representatives of the Croatian women’s movement, feminists who were well known for their dedicated work and feminist attitudes.
In front of Women’s room coordinator dr.sc. Maja Mamula and mag. paed. soc. Kristina Mihaljević were participated in the meeting.
The 17th Pride Parade of LGBTIQ People and Families will be held on June 9, 2018.
“We are inviting all of you to be happy and to fight this year with us, to loudly say that we have had enough with the homophobia, bifobia and transfobia that has bombard us from the parliamentary bench and the media space. We will no longer be afraid to express ourselves, and tell them how we feel, who we love, or who makes our family. And this year we will proudly show that we are here and that we will continue to fight for our rights, our families, our jobs and our values! “
The gathering is scheduled to take place, as it has been for the past few years, at Roosevelt Square in front of the Mimara Museum at 15:00. The route is well-known: It will start at Mimara and go to Frankopanska Street and Ilica, then to Trg Ban Josip Jelačić. It will then continue to Jurišićeva Street to Draškovićeva Street and then towards Langova Square to Ribnjak.
The procession ends in the Ribnjak park. The route length of this year’s march is approximately 2.3 kilometers. People with mobility problems, if they need assistance or have additional questions about the Roadmap, can contact email@example.com .
Zagreb Pride reports the march will be followed by the traditional Pride Party. The official after party of this year’s Pride of Pride, will take place at the Boogaloo club.