In UN documents women are recognized as a political, economic and status minority, and Republic of Croatia, by signing the Convention of elimination all forms of female discrimination, did not only accepted to create a legal frame that guarantees gender equality, but to administer the measures for elimination of all forms of discrimination from routine and customs.

Since there are 51 percent of women in whole population, we deem necessary for them to exit endless circle of political, economical and status minority and gain an equal place at entire social processes.

Therefore Women�s Network Croatia as their primary goals of public intercession determines;

• participation of women in politics and political decision making
• realization of right for education, labour, income, and full employment
• social security
• arresting the violence upon women
• tolerance and equality policy

Women participation in politics and political decision making

Since there are 51 percent of entire population and, when in opportunity, they deputize female interests far too better and therefore it is very important to have at least 30 percent of women at the places of decision-making. Therefore ...

� we request:

• Distribution of responsibility in the house and state administration
• Women quota at executive bodies of political parties, candidate lists where both genders alternate, and on all administration levels
• Measures for complete and realistic displaying of women in public, abetment and sanctioning of sexism, prejudices and stereotypes
• Realization of educational, labour and full-time job rights

Since employment of women and illegal labour increases due to the misevaluating of their work, women are forced to have more then one job, in spite their home, free-of-charge, jobs they conduct, by that, like the others, they contribute to the national economics ...

... we request:

• Introduction of employment stimulation measures for women to the working places in accordance with their education
• Granting of self-employment under favourable conditions, with low interest and deferment of debt payoff
• A tax rate reduction in order to disburden the economy whose crisis affects poor and middle classes, whose majority are women
• An organised qualification of women for work with modern technology
• Measures for age discrimination prevention

Respecting of specific problems women living on the country side, their contribution to the family income and, in accordance with that, valorisation of their unpaid work

Active legislation which is protecting women from sexual blackmailing, intimidation, and sexual harassment.

Social security

Croatian sexual policy provides no quality answers for the actual crisis in the country. Unemployed women, single-mothers, women-farmers, women of third age and women with special needs do not enjoy welfare such they need. Working-able, though not employed, women social welfare is limited to, and women on the countryside de facto cannot even gain social protection. Therefore ...

we request ...

• reducing state budget assignments for the army, secret services and police and its redirection to the social and health purposes, education and improvement of women social status
• social state and politics that will fulfil the specific needs of women
• a clear definition of legal boundaries for assisting the women
• instead of narrowing, exercising and efficiently conducting the legal social rights
• a real parliament control of assigned and spent means for social protection
• social security for women on the countryside, their right on appropriate, earned, pension
• making possible having additional work who�s expenses follow expenses of life without additional tax fees, contributions to the state budget of freezing gained rights for the retirement for retired women
• accessible creche and kindergartens for all, their two-shift work, and for the children of self-sustained mothers and those form poor families, a free of charge services
• children�s allowance that follows the life expenses, paid regularly; also equal allowance for unemployed women
• transparent information about social rights
• Available abortion and contraception and safe health protection of women

Level of health protection decreases and, in accordance, shortage of prevention, expert examinations, hospitalisation and medicines are more often denied. Such a situation especially influences women, their work and private life. Following, first health services that Social Security Fund had stopped co financing are contraception and abortion which, due to that fact, commercialised, and are often unavailable. Since the women has the right to decide does she want or not, when and with whom to have children, contraception and abortion must be legal, safe, territorial and financial available to all the women. State policy and the Church advocate prohibition of these methods which is unacceptable pressure to gynaecologists and women themselves. Therefore ...

... we request

• medically approved and free of charge abortion at all County hospitals, severe and easily conductible sanctions for those refusing to do it on woman�s request
• accessible and free contraception according to the woman�s choice
• easily accessible sterilisation and artificial insemination
• public campaign about importance of contraception and protection from sexual diseases
• free of charge contraception counselling
• liberal sexual education in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools
• gynaecologists that are respecting female needs and do not inflict their own attitudes, moral and religious boundaries
• An increased amount of financial means form the state budget for prevention (i.e. tests for early discovering uterus cancer, mammography, Brest ultrasound, etc.), to the general and reproductive women health and large comprehensive health education
• Consistent implementation of existing laws/bills regarding health protection and their improvements in order to achieve a higher level of health security

Prevention of women-violence

Since the last war, there is an increasing number of violence upon women in this militant atmosphere. Counselling for women, one of many help-lines gets more then 260 calls a month. There are no legal protections in Croatia for women from domestic violence. The only shelter in Croatia faces uncertain financial future. Therefore ...

... we request:

• protection of women victims of violence by independent, autonomous state financed counselling offices, SOS-lines, shelters and self-aid groups
• free medical examinations, treatments and psychological support for women that experienced domestic violence
• legislative support and protection for women exposed to the domestic violence, creating the bill of domestic violence and establishing special Family Court
• education of employed at state administration 8social care centres, police, Court, educational institutions, and health departments) about problems of violence upon women
• establishing of special police departments for cases of violence on women in which women will be employed
• public campaign against violence on women financed by the state
• having an official statistics of violence upon women attached to the state institutions (Croatian Bureau of Statistics, police, health institutions, Courts, State prosecution) by gender criteria and relation to the violator

Politics of equality and tolerance

Society in its educational system particularly supports the picture of traditional gender roles and stereotypes of such kind. Even more, stereotyping of such male-female relationships receives a growing presence, and liberal sexual education has vanished form curriculum. At the same time, society tolerance descends and violence ascends. Therefore ...

... we request:

• abatement of gender stereotypes in manuals and education, and adequate valorisation of women roles in history and presence
• introducing the principles of non-violence communication and non-violent conflict resolution to the primary school education
• abatement of religious education in schools and its return to the confessional communities
• demilitarisation of society and its active politics
• supporting and financing of nongovernmental sector