February 25, 2025 at the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb, organized by B.a.B.e association. the final conference of the project SURF and SOUND – Support, Unite, Respond, Fight to Stop Online violence 2.0 was held. The conference opened a space for a comprehensive discussion on the problem of online violence against women in Croatia, bringing together experts from different fields to consider the legal, institutional and practical aspects of this topic. The event emphasized the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach in the fight against online violence and ensuring effective legal protection for victims.

Petra Kontić , president of the B.a.B.e association , opened the conference with an introductory speech and presentation of the SURF and SOUND 2.0 project, highlighting its goals of raising awareness and creating a safer digital environment. Kontić emphasized that the project has improved and enhanced already established mechanisms for preventing and combating online violence, such as the NEON platform, which provides information, advice and tools for self-help and reporting violence. In addition, existing direct support services have been expanded, including IT support and the support of a Person of Trust, in addition to the already available legal and psychological assistance for victims. Among the key results, Kontić pointed to an increased understanding of the phenomenon of online violence against women. Changing attitudes and behaviors contributes to stronger support for victims and the imposition of appropriate sanctions for perpetrators.

Anja Belić , Advisor at the Office of the Gender Equality Ombudsperson , presented the legal framework of online violence in Croatia, explaining the current legislative measures and the challenges in their implementation. She highlighted the need for further legislative improvements to ensure better protection of victims and accountability of perpetrators.

Anita Malenica, member of the Council of the Agency for Electronic Media, presented the national campaign within the SURF and SOUND 2.0 project, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness and preventing online violence against women. Malenica emphasized the importance of educating the media about online violence so that the media can then promote responsible reporting and contribute to a broader conversation on the topic, ultimately creating a safer online environment.

Sunčana Roksandić , Head of the Department of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb , presented the legal regulation of the criminal offense of misuse of sexually explicit content. In her presentation, she spoke about the gaps in current legislation and the importance of updating legal provisions to respond to new challenges in the digital era.

Renato Grgurić , Head of the Cybersecurity Service of the Police Directorate, gave a presentation on access to digital evidence, highlighting the challenges in investigations that arise in online crimes. He explained in detail the procedures that the police follow in tracking cyber criminals and stressed the necessity of cooperation with international agencies in combating cross-border online threats.

Krunoslav Stjepan Rajačić , Deputy County State Attorney at the Zagreb County Prosecutor's Office, shared real-life cases of the criminal offense of misuse of sexually explicit footage, providing a practical perspective on legal proceedings. In his presentation, he discussed specific legal precedents and the challenges prosecutors face in securing convictions, especially when dealing with anonymous perpetrators and rapidly evolving digital platforms.

Ivana Bilušić, judge of the Velika Gorica County Court, concluded her presentation with an analysis of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights on online violence against women, emphasizing the importance of international legal standards. She provided an analysis of key cases and their implications for the Croatian legal system, emphasizing the need to harmonize national laws with European regulations.

The SURF and SOUND 2.0 project is aimed at combating online violence against women and is implemented by the association B.a.B.e . Be active. Be emancipated. in cooperation with the Agency for Electronic Media , with the support of the Ministry of the Interior and the Judicial Academy . The project in question is financed by the European Union from the CERF program and co-financed by the Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

The B.a.B.e Association invites you to the final conference of the SURF and SOUND 2.0 project , which will be held February 25, 2025 at the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb, starting at 9:30 a.m.

The SURF and SOUND 2.0 project is aimed at combating online violence against women and is implemented by the association B.a.B.e . Be active. Be emancipated. in cooperation with the Agency for Electronic Media , with the support of the Ministry of the Interior and the Judicial Academy . The project in question was financed by the European Union from the CERC program and co-financed by the Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

The final conference will be an opportunity to present the results achieved, discuss future activities, and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders working to protect women in the digital space.

The B.a.B.e Association organized 30. and on January 31 this year, an international conference as part of the SURF and SOUND 2.0 project with the aim of strengthening the mechanisms of prevention and suppression of online violence against women. The conference, held in a hybrid form, brought together experts and representatives of institutions and organizations.

Ana Kordej (Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation) emphasized the importance of harmonizing national legislation with the EU Directive on Combating Violence against Women.

Kristina Bekavac (Judicial Academy) highlighted the success of educational workshops for judicial officials. Josip Popovac (Agency for Electronic Media) identified online violence as one of the key problems of the digital age, while Anita Matijević (Ministry of Interior) warned of the growing trend of abuse of intimate content and romantic scams.

Lawyer Ines Bojić presented data from the association's counseling center, through which 272 people received 456 legal and psychological services in the period from March 1, 2021 to December 31, 2024. 55.9% of reports of online violence were recorded through the NEON platform.

Marina Dimić Vugec (CARNET) spoke about the gender digital divide, and Ivan Ćaleta (Center for Missing and Abused Children) and Edel Beckman (PermessoNegato, Italy) shared their experiences in preventing digital violence.

The second day of this international conference presented different perspectives on combating gender-based online violence, as well as the challenges and technical aspects of the misuse of intimate photos.

Kristina Kemešić (Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation) spoke about the legislative regulation of criminal offences related to online violence against women. Regarding the occurrence of the criminal offence of misuse of sexually explicit content recordings, she pointed out that since its introduction into the Criminal Code until 22 January 2025, 32 final judgments and 35 non-final judgments have been issued, all of which are convictions. There are currently 16 criminal cases pending.

Olga Jurasz (Centre for Protecting Women Online, The Open University, UK and independent expert of the Council of Europe's Committee of Experts on Combating Technology-mediated Violence against Women and Girls) presented data from a 2023 survey on online violence in the United Kingdom, highlighting the problem of normalization of online violence and the worrying fact that young women are the least likely to report violence.

Tomás Grencho (APAV, Safer Internet Helpline, Portugal) presented the work of the SOS line and the platform for reporting online violence and presented examples of online stalking and online abuse using content generated using artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.

Milena Vasić (Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights - YUCOM, Serbia) pointed out that Serbia has not yet introduced the criminal offense of publishing intimate content without consent and stated the need to strengthen the prosecutor's capacity for high-tech crime.

Boris Radanović (STOP NCII.org and UK Safer Internet Centre, UK) pointed out that STOP NCII.org is the only free tool in the world that allows us to protect our photos preventively.

Domen Savič, Citizen D (Slovenia) spoke about hatred and misogyny on the internet and those who benefit financially from it.

Lucy Qin (Georgetown University, USA) spoke about research results and recommendations for combating the abuse of intimate content.

The project "SURF AND SOUND 2.0" is funded by the European Union from the CERD program - Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values ​​(2021-2027) and co-financed by the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. It is implemented by B.a.B.e association in partnership with the Agency for Electronic Media and associated partners, the Judicial Academy and the Police Directorate.

Association B.a.B.e . Be active. Be emancipated. invites you to an international conference within the SURF & SOUND 2.0 project, financed by the European Union's CERV program, which will be held 30. and January 31, 2025 online via the ZOOM app.

The conference will address the current and important issue of online violence against women , with the aim of changing attitudes and behaviors among professionals, improving prevention and suppression mechanisms, and encouraging long-term structural changes to end gender-based online violence.

The conference is being held as part of the SURF and SOUND 2.0 project, which is aimed at combating online violence against women. The project is led by the B.a.B.e association. Be active. Be emancipated, and is being implemented in partnership with the Agency for Electronic Media and with the support of the Ministry of the Interior and the Judicial Academy.

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81878214629?pwd=xznPAhuvwYDBptCEMtgglefZlZfbId.1

Meeting ID: 818 7821 4629

Passcode: babe2025

In 89% of households, women maintain the apartment daily or several times a week. If you don't know, learn. Let's share the chores around the house!

The "Equality Without Excuses" campaign is being implemented within the framework of the Thematic Systematic Support of the National Foundation for the Development of Civil Society in the area of ​​'Reconciling Private and Business Life'.

On 12 December 2024, a conference entitled “Reconciling Family and Work Life: The Contribution of Trade Unions in Advocating for Change” was held at the Human Rights House in Zagreb, organized by B.a.B.e association as part of the Thematic Systematic Support of the National Foundation for the Development of Civil Society. This conference, focused on trade unions, is the third in a row within the aforementioned project, and brought together a number of experts who discussed the challenges of balancing private and professional life. The conference was opened by Petra Kontić, president of the B.a.B.e association, who also presented a promotional video from the “Equality without Excuses” campaign.

Krešimir Sever, President of the Economic and Social Council and the Independent Trade Union Solidarnost, spoke about the importance of balancing professional obligations and family responsibilities. He emphasized that parents often do not find enough time for their families, which affects the functioning of the family and the mental health of children. “We live next to each other, not with each other,” he said, emphasizing the need for social solidarity and better organization of working hours.

Darije Hanzalek, president of the Independent Croatian Trade Unions, warned of the dangers of losing acquired labor rights and stressed the need for modern demographic policies. He paid special attention to women's working conditions and topics such as menstruation, menopause and motherhood. He pointed out that Croatia has yet to introduce changes like those in Spain, which last year introduced the right to menstrual leave.

Ana Vračar from the Base for Workers' Initiative and Democratization presented the Women's Trade Union School project and the importance of increasing the visibility of women in trade unions and political processes. “Men still dominate trade union structures, even where women make up the majority of the membership,” she pointed out, emphasizing the need for more active involvement of women in order for trade unions to better adapt to their needs.

Professors from the University of Zadar, Valerija Barada and Marija Šarić, presented sociological aspects of the everyday challenges of working parents in Croatia. The discussion covered the differences in family and work roles between men and women.

Finally, Ljubica Matijević-Vrsaljko, a retired lawyer and former Ombudsman for Children, shared her experience working with single-parent families. She highlighted the particular difficulties single parents face in balancing private and professional obligations, including challenges in advancement and access to education. “More than half of single-parent families cannot provide their children with basic needs,” she warned.

We cordially invite you to the opening of the exhibition as part of the campaign "Equality without excuses" , which will be held on Monday, December 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., at the Unity Plant in Zagreb (Trnjanska struga 34). The exhibition is organized by the association B.a.B.e . Be active. Be emancipated. , and will be open to visitors until Thursday, December 19, 2024.

With this exhibition, we want to draw attention to the problem of unequal division of household chores in the family, where most of the burden still falls on women, who participate in these chores in a significantly higher percentage. Men often miss out on everyday household duties, citing reasons such as: " I never learned to do it.", "I don't have that habit.", "I'm better at other things.", "It's not for me.", "Tell me what to do and I'll do it." . At the exhibition, visitors have the opportunity to study steps and advice that encourage equal involvement of all family members in household chores. With a common understanding and division of responsibilities, everyone can contribute to a fairer and happier family environment.

The exhibition is part of the campaign "Equality without excuses" which is implemented within the framework of the Thematic Systematic Support of the National Foundation for Civil Society Development in the area of ​​'Reconciling private and professional life'. Through the campaign, we aim to stimulate a broader social debate and raise awareness about a more equal distribution of household chores.

We look forward to your arrival!

In 67% of households, the shopping list is planned exclusively or mostly by women. If you don't know, learn. Let's divide the chores around the house!

The "Equality Without Excuses" campaign is being implemented within the framework of the Thematic Systematic Support of the National Foundation for the Development of Civil Society in the area of ​​'Reconciling Private and Business Life'.

We cordially invite you to the opening of the exhibition as part of the campaign "Equality without excuses" , which will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., at the Pazin City Library (Šetalište Pazin High School 1A). The exhibition is organized by the association B.a.B.e . Be active. Be emancipated. , and will be open to visitors until Friday, December 13, 2024.

With this exhibition, we want to draw attention to the problem of unequal division of household chores in the family, where most of the burden still falls on women, who participate in these chores in a significantly higher percentage. Men often miss out on everyday household duties, citing reasons such as: " I never learned to do it.", "I don't have that habit.", "I'm better at other things.", "It's not for me.", "Tell me what to do and I'll do it." . At the exhibition, visitors have the opportunity to study steps and advice that encourage equal involvement of all family members in household chores. With a common understanding and division of responsibilities, everyone can contribute to a fairer and happier family environment.

The exhibition is part of the campaign "Equality without excuses" which is implemented within the framework of the Thematic Systematic Support of the National Foundation for Civil Society Development in the area of ​​'Reconciling private and professional life'. Through the campaign, we aim to stimulate a broader social debate and raise awareness about a more equal distribution of household chores.

We look forward to your arrival!

In 92% of households, women do the laundry daily or several times a week. If you don't know, learn. Let's divide the chores around the house!

The "Equality Without Excuses" campaign is being implemented within the framework of the Thematic Systematic Support of the National Foundation for the Development of Civil Society in the area of ​​'Reconciling Private and Business Life'.