Women under-represented in top decision making positions

(Hina) - Although great progress has been made in promoting the equality of women in the past few decades, they are still not equally represented in top decision-making positions as men

(Hina) - Although great progress has been made in promoting the equality of women in the past few decades, they are still not equally represented in top decision-making positions as men, a conference organised by President Ivo Josipović to mark International Women's Day said on Friday.

"Croatian society is sensitive to equal rights and gender equality, and we want to be even better in that regard," Josipović said. He noted that women were still discriminated against on the labour market and in politics. "Women are under-represented in positions of power," the President said, noting that a cultural pattern which did not accept women as equal participants in society still prevailed in Croatia.

Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said that the Croatian Parliament had adopted acts ensuring the equal status of men and women in Croatia, but that problems arose in practice. "Croatian society is still traditional, patriarchal and conservative," he said, adding that he was confident that the economy of the entire continent was suffering due to the under-representation of women in the business world.

Participants quoted census statistics showing that women in Croatia had higher education qualifications than men.

European Commission Representative Branko Baričević said that gender equality was one of the fundamental principles of the treaties on which the EU is based. "The struggle for gender equality and against discrimination is a lasting task of the European Commission," he said, adding that despite the proclaimed acts the average salary of women in the EU was 16 per cent lower than that of men.

A year ago the European Commission proposed a rule that women should account for 40 per cent of members of corporate management boards by 2020 and submitted its proposal to the European Parliament for adoption.

"Good results are not determined by gender and this is the first lesson girls should learn in their families," said Gordana Kovačević of the Ericsson Nikola Tesla company, female manager of the decade and one of the few women who has made it into the nine per cent of women in managerial positions.

Mirela Holy of the newly-established Sustainable Development of Croatia (ORaH) party called for parity democracy. "Only that way will we ensure 50% representation of women in parliament," she said.

The conference "Representation of women in politics and leading business positions in Croatia and the EU" was co-organised by the European Commission Representation and the European Parliament's Information Office in Croatia.

Prime Minister Minister Zoran Milanović extended his best wishes to all women in Croatia for International Women's Day, observed on March 8, saying that gender equality was one of the conditions for building a just society and making economic, social and cultural progress.

Press releases