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Recently, we received information that the name of the BaBe association is being used to sell roses in the center of Zagreb, with the explanation that the proceeds from the sale are intended to support women victims of violence.

We emphasize that this is a false representation and that the BaBe association does not raise funds through sales.. If you want to support the work of the organization, you can do it through a donation on the official website or through a volunteer contribution.

We also ask citizens to inform us in the future of similar experiences so that we can react in a timely manner.

The BaBe association reacted to yesterday's statement by the president to point out the responsibility of all those who speak out in public, and in order to serve as an example of this ourselves, we decided not to comment on messages that were communicated in such an unargued and unconstructive manner.

Sloboda kritike jedna je od suštinskih karakteristika demokracije i stoga treba biti sastavni dio politike i javnog diskursa. Međutim, kritika izrečena kroz seksističke uvrede postaje nešto sasvim drugo – to je diskriminacija i ušutkavanje ne samo pojedinih žena, već svih žena u javnom prostoru.

Svojim izjavama o saborskim zastupnicama Orešković i Puljak, Zoran Milanović nastavio je niz sve češćih seksističkih napada na žene u hrvatskoj politici. Nazvavši ih "narikačama", "Thelmom i Louise" te opetovanim umanjivanjem profesionalnih postignuća Dalije Orešković u odnosu na njezinog muža i infantilizacijom navedenih zastupnica, predsjednik je pribjegao rodnim stereotipima koji često onemogućavaju političko sudjelovanje žena, a posebice žena koje postavljaju "škakljiva" pitanja i preispituju pravednost postojećeg društvenog poretka.

Naposljetku, izricanjem ograde: "nadam se da ovo neće biti napad na njezinu ženskost i da nisam rekao ništa seksistički", predsjednik nam daje naslutiti da je možda i sam svjestan kako je takva retorika problematična, ali ne uspijeva otkloniti negativne posljedice onoga što je izrečeno.

Podsjećamo da prema EIGE-ovu Indeksu rodne ravnopravnosti, Hrvatska ima vrlo nizak rezultat u području političke moći žena, a upravo je pojavnost etiketa poput "narikača" i "alapača" jedan od vidljivih simptoma neravnopravnosti u tom segmentu.

Danas, 30. rujna 2020., održan je četvrti partnerski sastanak u okviru projekta How Expertise Leads to Prevention, Learning, Identification, Networking and Ending Gender Based Violence (HELPLINE). Cilj projekta je pružiti zaštitu i podršku ženama žrtvama rodno uvjetovanog nasilja promovirajući multidisciplinarni pristup, a partnerski je sastanak okupio je predstavnike/ce partnerskih organizacija na projektu, a to su, uz nositeljicu projekta udrugu B.a.B.e. Budi aktivna. Budi emancipiran., Udruga za podršku žrtvama i svjedocima, Ured za ravnopravnost spolova RH, Policijska akademija i Pravosudna akademija.

Tema sastanka bila je novonastala situacija vezana za Covid-19 pandemiju uslijed koje je projekt HELPLINE produžen za 6 mjeseci. Raspravljali smo o priručniku za profesionalce koji će uskoro biti tiskan, o nadolazećim treninzima za profesionalce/ke koji rade sa ženama žrtvama nasilja te o izazovima organizacije međunarodne konferencije za vrijeme pandemije.

Od 11. studenog 2019. godine do 31. kolovoza 2020. godine B.a.B.e. su provodile projekt REP – režirajmo promjene!, usmjeren na borbu protiv vršnjačkog nasilja i financiran od strane Ministarstva znanosti i obrazovanja.

Cilj projekta bio je povećati mogućnosti djece osnovnoškolskog uzrasta da izvan redovitog odgojno-obrazovnog sustava steknu potrebno znanje o problemu vršnjačkog nasilja i važnosti mira, nauče i primjenjuju vještine nenasilnog rješavanja sukoba te da usvoje primjerena stajališta o samom problemu.

U projektu je sudjelovalo 94 učenika/ca 6. i 7. razreda OŠ Blage Zadre Vukovar, OŠ "Mijat Stojanović" Babina Greda, OŠ Siniše Glavaševića Vukovar i OŠ Dragutina Tadijanovića Vukovar, koje su nam bile i partneri na projektu.

S obzirom na brojne izazove s kojima smo se susreli uslijed epidemije koronavirusa, a koji su nam otežavali provedbu planiranih aktivnosti, zadovoljni smo što smo ipak zajedničkim snagama i prilagodbom aktivnosti projekta uspješno priveli kraju.

Na temelju učeničkih radova, nastalih nakon edukativnih i kreativnih radionica, kreirana su 4 videouratka s ciljem daljnjeg promicanja tolerancije i prihvaćanja različitosti te samim time i smanjenja vršnjačkog nasilja.

Konačno, sudjelovanjem u projektnim aktivnostima djeca su pridonijela promicanju i aktivnom prakticiranju ljudskih prava kako bi postali/e aktivni/e građani/ke našeg društva, ali i stekli/e nova znanja i vještine koje će pridonijeti kako njihovoj vlastitoj kvaliteti života tako i kvaliteti života ljudi u njihovoj okolini.

Videouratke možete pogledati na sljedećim poveznicama:

https://www.facebook.com/322672618429794/videos/227287782059145/

https://www.facebook.com/322672618429794/videos/1742110659272191/

https://www.facebook.com/322672618429794/videos/1556750041173534/

https://www.facebook.com/322672618429794/videos/327259615061399/

Through this article, the BaBe association would like to address the case of a 49-year-old man who was sentenced to 6 months in prison for having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl. This scandalous verdict has flooded the media in recent days and shocked the public. In light of such a verdict and the insensitive media reporting, we felt the need to better inform the public about the criminal framework for sexual abuse of a child under 15 years of age and the inadequate application of legal norms in the Republic of Croatia.

In scientific and professional circles and in public opinion, there is an unquestionable consensus that sexual offences against children are considered one of the most serious criminal offences. In accordance with Article 158 of the Criminal Code (Official Gazette 144/12, 118/18), anyone who engages in sexual intercourse or an equivalent sexual act with a child under the age of fifteen shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of one to ten years. If the child becomes pregnant during the commission of the criminal offence, the perpetrator shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of three to fifteen years (Article 166 of the Criminal Code). In the case in question, the perpetrator of sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl was sentenced to 22 months in prison by a non-final decision, for which he was given a partial suspended sentence, according to which the prison sentence is six months, while the remaining 16 months of imprisonment will not be served if he does not commit a new criminal offence in the next three years and meets certain obligations. Considering that the aforementioned perpetrator has already spent a little less than 6 months in pre-trial detention, which is credited towards his prison sentence, he will successfully avoid prison if he behaves appropriately during the probationary period. When determining the sentence, the court took into account the perpetrator's misconception about the girl's age and numerous mitigating circumstances such as confession, lack of convictions, care for the victim, the perpetrator's personal life, etc., which are constantly emphasized in the media. At the same time, the fact that the prosecution established that the girl consented to sexual intercourse is emphasized.

We believe it is necessary to emphasize that children are a vulnerable group that is granted enhanced protection in our legal system and that sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 15 should under no circumstances be considered or called voluntary. Children are born with fundamental freedoms and rights that belong to all human beings. However, given their physical and mental immaturity, there is a need to emphasize the special rights of the child to protection that arise from this fact. This is precisely the basic starting point of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Official Gazette, International Treaties, No. 12/93). By ratifying the aforementioned Convention, the States Parties have undertaken to take all necessary legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse. The imposition of minimal sanctions, the mitigation of punishment and the insufficient concern for the physical and mental consequences of the victim are in direct contradiction with the obligations assumed by the aforementioned Convention and completely ignore the best interests of the child, which should be the starting point of any action regarding the protection of sexual freedom and the physical and mental health of the child. In addition to all of the above, we would like to emphasize that in the case described above, special emphasis should be placed on the aggravating circumstances that are insufficiently mentioned in the media, which include the long period of time during which the perpetrator intruded into the sexual sphere of the girl's life, the attempt to shift responsibility onto her by emphasizing that he did not know about her age, and the consequences of the criminal offense, among which the pregnancy and abortion in the 13th week of pregnancy are particularly pronounced, which can leave permanent physical and mental consequences for a girl of the aforementioned age.
In conclusion, we would like to call on all state, local and public bodies of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the judiciary and the media, to act responsibly based on respect for human rights and the best interests of the child. The sanctions we impose, the positions we take and the way we present current events shape our vision of society and justice and influence the future behavior of individuals. Lightly punishing perpetrators of the criminal act of child sexual abuse harms not only the victims of individual crimes, but also the entire community, because it portrays such behavior as acceptable and permissible, and additionally stigmatizes and demoralizes victims in reporting crimes. Based on such and similar situations, we are shaping a system of moral values that is not appropriate for modern society. In order to achieve systematic changes and greater respect for the physical and moral integrity of every person, it is necessary to act consistently and continuously in each individual case of human rights violations, especially when it concerns the lives of vulnerable groups, such as children.

As part of the project "With advice and conversation against violence and social exclusion" The BaBe association has launched a new website on the domain need-advice.com. The page contains news and important information related to project activities, as well as an online form through which you can request free legal advice or information and psychological support.

Advice and conversation against violence and social exclusion is a project of the BaBe association and partners, and is aimed at providing assistance to women victims of domestic violence, by ensuring regional availability of legal and psychosocial counseling services. The project is financed by the European Social Fund. More information about the project is available on the relevant website.

In light of the numerous sexist statements in public that we have witnessed and that have been brought to our attention by citizens, the BaBe association hereby appeals to all public figures, with special emphasis on journalists, to respect the rules of the profession and the moral and ethical values of a modern democratic society in their public conduct.

Art. 3 of the Media Act (OG 59/04, 84/11, 81/13) expressly prohibits the incitement or glorification of gender inequality and the incitement of sexual or other hostility through media content. At the same time, in accordance with Art. 13 of the Code of Honour of Croatian Journalists (2009), which states that it is inadmissible to use "stereotypes, pejorative expressions, humiliating portrayals, as well as any other form of direct or indirect incitement or support of discrimination", it is the obligation of every journalist to promote and protect fundamental human rights and freedoms. We emphasize that the equality of all citizens - regardless of gender, age, ethnicity and other characteristics - is one of the fundamental values of the European Union, which is also reflected in the Code itself. With these norms, we wish to point out that sexist and discriminatory behavior is not only contrary to individual moral principles, but also to the laws of the Republic of Croatia, relevant regulations and international conventions ratified by the Republic of Croatia.

If we want to build a democratic society, we are forced to reflect on the cultural meanings that circulate in public space, as well as the ways in which we communicate these meanings. Insults, gender-based disparagement, sexualization and stereotypes continuously fill media content. The meanings reproduced through this content underlie the inequality and violation of dignity that women suffer every day in public space, because it is the media and public role models that shape our own beliefs and behaviors in everyday interactions. It is time for public actors with a great influence on public opinion to start acting to eradicate the culture of violence against women, which is an indirect consequence of sexist representations in public space.

It is the duty of each of us to respond to discrimination and injustice, so we are extremely grateful to all citizens who have taken on this duty and requested our response in their reports. We believe that working towards social change is not only the responsibility of institutions, but also of each individual. We call on all citizens to continue to contact us with trust so that together, through active citizenship, we can act towards the common good and build a better community based on democratic principles.

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