As part of the BaBe association project, which is being implemented with the support of the National Foundation for Civil Society Development, the first thematic conference entitled "Reconciling family and work life: perspectives and challenges in public policy". The conference was held on 9 October 2024 at the House of Europe in Zagreb, with the aim of opening a structured dialogue with the Ministry of Demography and Immigration and other relevant stakeholders. The focus of the conference was on identifying current challenges and needs in implementing policies that enable a better balance between private and professional life, as well as on planning future activities in this area.
Introduction and key topics
The conference was opened by Petra Kontić from the BaBe association with a welcoming speech, presenting the importance of the project and the need for coordination of public policies that support the balance between family and work responsibilities. Keynote speakers from different sectors presented their expert opinions and experiences, highlighting different aspects of the problem.
Dr. Željka Josić, MD, State Secretary of the Ministry of Demography and Immigration, held a presentation on the topic "Demographic policies and measures: balancing work and family in contemporary society"She highlighted the challenges facing families in today's society and presented the demographic measures that the Government is implementing to facilitate the reconciliation of family and work obligations.
Iva Prpić, M.Sc. from the City Office for Social Protection, Health, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities presented the activities of the City of Zagreb regarding the reconciliation of work and private life. The City of Zagreb is implementing a number of measures that include support for parents and social services for families.
Assistant Professor Anka Kekez Koštro, Ph.D. from the Faculty of Political Science highlighted the importance of public services in the process of balancing family and work life. High-quality and accessible public services, such as kindergartens, schools and social welfare, are key to enabling parents to more easily balance their private and work obligations.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sc. Valerija Barada from the University of Zadar spoke about the specific challenges faced by families in Croatia. In a presentation titled "Families in Croatia: work, housework, children", Barada highlighted gender inequality in the division of household chores and childcare and their impact on women's employment.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suzana Košir from the University of Maribor shared the Slovenian experience through the topic "Political participation and private life of women: the example of Slovenia"Slovenia has had some successes in promoting gender equality, but challenges remain, particularly in the context of women's political participation and their private responsibilities.
Research results
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sc. Valerija Barada presented the results of a public opinion survey conducted in 2022 as part of the BaBe association project entitled "The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and on the demographic picture of Croatia - spaces of change", conducted by the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar. The research showed that in Croatia there is still a pronounced imbalance between the family and professional lives of working women and men. Women are more affected by the conflict between work and family obligations, which negatively affects their quality of life.
It was found that the reconciliation of family and work responsibilities is closely linked to social policy, flexible working conditions and the availability of public services. The conference participants agreed that it is necessary to create a comprehensive public policy that will encompass the above aspects and enable a better balance between private and work life.
Conclusion and recommendations
The conference opened the space for further public debate on topics related to the reconciliation of family and work life and laid the foundation for recommendations for improving public policies. In particular, the need for harmonization of strategic documents at the national and European levels was highlighted in order to create a comprehensive framework for achieving a balance between family and professional obligations of women and men.
The conference brought together 35 participants from different sectors, including representatives of ministries, local governments, academia, civil society and the media, which enabled a rich exchange of experiences and knowledge. It is expected that the results of this conference will contribute to the development of concrete measures and activities that will facilitate the reconciliation of family and work life in Croatia.
