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The conference as part of the "puSHEd - Protect, Understand, Support: Help the Elderly" project, which was held on October 25, 2023, brings conclusions and key information that marked this valuable initiative. During the conference, we gathered experts and organizations from the field of civil society, safe houses, homes for the elderly, medical sectors, social workers, and the academic community to discuss best practices at the European level.
Our focus questions were how to improve and raise awareness of support for older women victims of violence, consider alternative systemic solutions and encourage necessary reforms in long-term care for this extremely vulnerable group. The conference was enriched by excellent speakers, including Tatjana Vlašić from the Office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Croatia, Ana Laas from the Women's Support Center from Estonia, Lana Bobić from the Commission for Gender Equality of the City of Zagreb and Alia Luf from the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters. The conference was expertly moderated by Doria Jukić from our partner organization, the shelter for victims of domestic violence - Dom Duga-Zagreb, along with Tamara Šterk from the BaBe association
The conclusions that emerged from our discussions include the need to conduct relevant research on violence against older women, exploring potential solutions at the local level, and recognizing the lack of adequate services for this group as a deep-rooted systemic problem.
As next steps, the organizers plan to apply the knowledge gained within the project, seek new sources of funding and establish partnerships related to this topic, continue with the dissemination of materials and providing support and training of experts, and encourage networking and exchange of good practices. This conference represents an important step towards raising awareness and encouraging positive changes in support for older women facing violence.
The project "puSHEd - Protect, Understand, Support: Help the Elderly" is financed by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values program of the European Union and co-financed by the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, and is implemented by the association BaBe Budi aktivna. Budi emancipiran. in partnership with the City of Zagreb, the Home for Children and Adults - Victims of Domestic Violence "Duga Zagreb" and the Zajednički put Foundation.
BaBe Association Be active. Be emancipated. on October 23, 2023, held international final conference of the project "The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and the demographic picture of Croatia - spaces of change" at the Hotel Academia in Zagreb starting at 12 noon.
The conference was opened by Marina Gombar, project manager, who welcomed all those present and in her welcoming speech emphasized the challenges, but also the opportunities and solutions that are provided by the implementation and completion of the aforementioned project. She emphasized that cross-sectoral cooperation and dialogue are key to making decisions to improve the quality of life of citizens and build a better and safer future. After that, she presented to those present the results and achievements that have been achieved through the implementation of project activities.
She then addressed the gathering. Tatjana Katkić Stanić, Director of the Institute for Social Work, on behalf of Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social PolicyIn her speech on the unequal position of women and men, Katkić Stanić stated that women are in a more vulnerable status and are at greater risk of social exclusion due to their greater share of responsibility for childcare. She also expressed hope that the project results will truly improve the work of decision-makers.
She then addressed the conference participants. Višnja Ljubičić, Ombudsperson for gender equalityIn her address, Ljubičić spoke about the challenges faced by women in the Croatian labor market, such as obstacles in balancing family and work responsibilities, and pointed out that in her practice, almost half of the complaints received fall into the area of labor, employment, and social security. She also welcomed the importance of public debate on the project's topics.
Head of the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar, Associate Professor Valerija Barada At the conference, she presented data from a survey of 3,600 parents of minor children. In a presentation titled "Housework and cognitive-emotional household management". Barada emphasized that housework, especially routine ones, is still most often done by women, although men are increasingly involved in childcare activities. Women also more often carry out mental work that involves managing resources, time, emotions and relationships.
The following research data were presented by Marija Šarić from the Department of Sociology University of Zadar in the exhibition entitled "Men and women in Croatia: tensions between work and and family roles" have shown how gendered expectations related to caring for the household and family can unilaterally intensify tensions in both work and family roles, which is particularly evident in the lives of women who generally experience tensions between family and work roles more frequently than men.
Then they Sara Čović and Pavao Parunov from the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar with exposure "The role of public child care and education services in reconciling family and work obligations" showed through the conducted research that 64% of children of nursery age do not attend nursery, 26% of children of kindergarten age do not attend kindergarten, and 77% of children aged 6 to 11 do not use extended stay in primary school. Children from less developed regions and children from unemployed or single-parent households have a lower chance of using public care and education services.
Željka Zdravković from the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar she presented data from a survey of 400 older youth. With a theme "Living conditions of young people in Croatia: work, housing and family" she emphasized that the successful transition of young people depends not only on the young people, but also on the society in which they live. Gender differences in the labor market, the importance of parental support in resolving housing issues, education as a predictor of entering into a life partnership and parenthood, and place of residence as a predictor of first employment, housing, parenthood, and marriage should be taken into account.
The following presentation was given by sociologist Suzana Kunac from the Fifth Discipline with a theme "Policy" recommendations related to public policy for reconciling family and professional obligations for men and woman"After presenting six policy guidelines for the development of public policy for balancing family and work life, Kunac also addressed the demographic situation and emphasized that in order to improve the situation, women should not have to choose between work and family, but rather both should be available to them, and for this it is necessary to deconstruct certain gender stereotypes.
At the end of the conference Delila Hasanbegović Vukas from the Sarajevo Open Center gave a presentation entitled "Parental leave and gender equality - the perspective of Bosnia and
Herzegovina" within which she presented a study on the use of maternity leave by fathers, which showed that more than half of the fathers surveyed were not aware of the right to use maternity leave and that after the birth of a child, more than fifty percent of maternity leave was used by mothers. Hasanbegović Vukas also presented the campaign "Parenting has no gender" with the aim of raising awareness of the important role of fathers in a child's life and their right to use parental leave.
Project "The impact of public policies on the quality of family and work life and on the demographic picture" Croatia – spaces of change“ It is financed by the European Social Fund of the EU (85%) and the budget of the Republic of Croatia (15%), and the total value of the project is 3,599,941.69 HRK. The intermediary bodies are the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy and the National Foundation for Civil Society Development within the Operational Program Efficient Human Potentials. The project lasts 36 months and is implemented in the City of Zagreb and the following counties: Sisak-Moslavina, Koprivnica-Križevci, Osijek-Baranja, Vukovar-Srijem, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Zadar, Split-Dalmatia and Istria counties.
The aim of the project is to strengthen civil society organizations included in the Thematic Network through partnerships, cross-sectoral cooperation with higher education institutions and local and regional government units.
regional self-government in order to achieve an effective social dialogue with the purpose of developing and proposing adequate public policies, adapted to the cultural specificities of each region, in order to contribute to the harmonization of private and business life of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia. The project takes place through three key groups of activities: building a network of CSOs to identify needs and propose public policies for harmonizing private and business life and their regional implementation; multi-stage action research of the real needs of women and men of working age; promotion and social dialogue on public policy measures that contribute to the harmonization of private and business life.
The project leader is the BaBe association, and the project partners are the University of Zadar, the City of Novska, Vukovar-Srijem County, the Association for Human Rights and Civic Participation PaRIter, the Association 'HERA' Križevci - For the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, the Center for Civic Initiatives Poreč, the Women's Association "IZVOR", the Croatian Association of Business Women Krug, Domine - an organization for the promotion of women's rights, the Space for Gender and Media Culture K-Zona, and the Croatian Youth Network.
Press release_international final conference of the project
It has opened in Zagreb's Oktogon exhibition within the project puSHed - Protect, Understand, Support: Help the Elderly with the message "Report those who devalue the golden years”.
The exhibition kicks off a campaign aimed at raising awareness among the general public about violence against older women. Violence, imperceptible and hidden, is not recognized on the faces of the older women, the main protagonists of the exhibition “Violence in the Shadows: An Exhibition to Raise Awareness of Older Women Victims of Violence”Ten visuals will be exhibited in Zagreb's Oktogon from October 24th to 30th.
The campaign was launched by the BaBe association, the Zajednički put Foundation, the Home for Children and Adult Victims of Domestic Violence "Duga-Zagreb" and the City of Zagreb with the support of the Ombudsman, the Association for Victim and Witness Support and the European Social Network. The project is financed by EU funds from the CERC program and supported by funds from the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
In addition to raising awareness about violence, the organizers of this campaign want to encourage a greater number of reports of violence, highlight prejudices against older women who are victims of violence and influence changes in social attitudes, as well as strengthen the capacities of relevant experts from the protection system and encourage decision-makers to recognize the importance of improving the system. support.
By marking the National Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on September 22nd, we want to once again draw attention to the problem of violence as a social problem that violates fundamental human rights.
In relation to the social attitude towards violence against women, we can say that over the years the perception has changed, so that domestic violence is no longer seen exclusively as a "private matter", and the public realizes that it is a social problem. Progress is also visible in the area of legislative regulations related to the prosecution and punishment of domestic violence, and it is expected that the new package of legal amendments will contribute to even more effective protection of victims of violence in criminal and misdemeanor proceedings and more adequate punishment of perpetrators. There is a clear need for the urgent development of a long-term strategy that will take into account all forms of violence against women, adopt targeted measures aimed at addressing the specific needs of all groups of victims, especially women who are exposed or could be exposed to multiple discrimination, on which unfortunately there is little research and case law at the moment.
In the first eight months of this year, a total of 1,000 beneficiaries approached the BaBe association for help, 426 of whom were related to the issue of domestic violence, while in the same period, our Safe House provided accommodation for 51 people, specifically 22 women and 29 children, victims of domestic violence. In the cases of our beneficiaries, most of them are combined forms of violence, from psychological, physical and economic violence to online violence. We cannot speak of a predominant form of violence.
We believe that Croatian society should finally devote itself to the comprehensive well-being of victims. Judicial proceedings are only one aspect of victim protection, and as an association we witness that there are deep problems and great uncertainty for many victims in terms of financial security, housing, economic independence and achieving other conditions for moving away from violence. Unfortunately, despite numerous changes in the systematic improvement of the position of victims, many women still face the problem of meeting basic existential needs for themselves and their children, collecting maintenance and dividing property they have acquired in a marital or extramarital relationship, and we hope that further steps by society as a whole will be directed towards ensuring that reporting violence does not mean uncertainty, struggling with poverty and other life problems that many victims experience.
We also advocate for the actual implementation of longer prison sentences and the consistent application of protection measures even after serving the prison sentence, because the time the perpetrator spends in prison is also a guarantee of the victim's safety, which is also one of the essential prerequisites for the recovery of victims and a new life without violence. We welcome every effort by the state to focus on education and sensitization of experts in the field of justice, and as an association we continue to be available with our knowledge and experience to all those who want to learn about the challenges that victims go through in judicial proceedings and proceedings before the Institute for Social Welfare.
We hereby call on all stakeholders in society to have zero tolerance for any form of violence. What we believe is most needed by the system is education, awareness-raising and mutual cooperation of all factors in the system of support for women victims of violence. We also hereby emphasize that the long-standing provision of legal and psychosocial assistance in the BaBe association is still active on a daily basis, and we invite all victims of violence to contact us with confidence at 01 4663 666.
Public services in an online format enable easier access to social benefits and finding the necessary information. However, older people sometimes lack the digital skills needed to use public information on the Internet. This represents a potential obstacle to the exercise of their fundamental rights. European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) warns that this puts them in an unfavorable situation and at risk and excludes them from the digital society. EU countries should ensure access to public services for everyone. Older people must be able to choose how they access public services and get help learning digital skills.
In Europe, the population is aging rapidly, while our societies are becoming increasingly digital. Many public services are available online, and an increasing number are being digitized.
However, statistics show that only one in four people in the EU aged between 65 and 74 have basic digital skills. Consequently, it can be concluded that in our digital societies, the elderly population is denied their basic rights, such as access to healthcare services, or online access to pensions.
The FRA report entitled "Fundamental rights of older people: ensuring access to public services in a digital society" shows that legislation in EU countries often does not recognize the risk of digital exclusion and does not address the obstacles faced by older people
To ensure access to public services for all, it is necessary to pay attention to the following key facts:
The FRA report is available at the following link: Fundamental rights of older people: ensuring access to public services in digital societies | European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (europa.eu)
Members of the BaBe association participated in the preparation of the report for the Republic of Croatia and it is available at the link: hr-ageing_in_digital_societies-country_report.pdf (europa.eu)
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Older Persons, highlighting the importance of protecting older persons and focusing on raising awareness of the problems faced by older persons. In 2011, the United Nations, through resolution 66/127, highlighted the importance of raising awareness about elder abuse as a violation of their fundamental human rights, and declared June 15th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Older Persons.
Elder abuse is a serious problem in today's society, and effective action at all levels is necessary to combat elder abuse. In addition to raising awareness of the problem, it is extremely important to conduct education on the rights of the elderly and to ensure an accessible and adequate system of protection and support.
As part of the project puSHEd – protect, understand, support: help the elderly, which the BaBe Budi aktivna. Budi emancipiran. association is implementing in partnership with the City of Zagreb, the Home for Children and Adult Victims of Domestic Violence “Duga – Zagreb” and the Zajednički put Foundation, an online training course is being held today for all professionals who work with the elderly. The purpose of the training is to identify the individual needs of elderly victims of violence and to develop a sensitive approach in professional work.
As part of the project puSHed – protect, understand, support; help the elderly two open dialogues were held with representatives of civil society organizations. The aim of the dialogue was to exchange experiences and examples of good practices in working with elderly victims of violence, to share the challenges we face as well as to exchange ideas, all in the spirit of expanding the area of intersectional support towards the target population.
The need to organize open dialogues emerged after the completion of mapping the experiences of stakeholders from different levels in the field of providing support to the elderly, as well as after conducting interviews with elderly women victims of violence, which led to the conclusion that we do not have adequate answers to providing care to the elderly in general, and especially to elderly victims of domestic violence.
During the open dialogue, the participants were also presented with the Handbook for professionals working with older people who are victims of violence.
A total of 28 participants took part. The open dialogues were held at the end of May, via the ZOOM platform.
The project aims to prevent and combat gender-based violence against older women by developing gender-specific responses in providing support to victims and building the capacity of relevant stakeholders in the protection and support system. The project is funded by the European Union from the CERD program. The value of the project is €208,716.34.
On May 24, 2023, a conference entitled "Be Active. Be Emancipated" was organized by the BaBe association and the Croatian Youth Network. "The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life - a structured dialogue on demographic trends and needs". The conference was held live at Hotel Academia in Zagreb, and is part of the project “The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and on the demographic picture of Croatia – spaces of change”The goals of the conference were to present evidence-based and developed guidelines for the development of public policies, then open a space for dialogue between employers, workers and others to raise awareness and the needs of balancing private and professional life, then highlight the importance of the inclusion and active contribution of all household members in the distribution of household chores, mental work and care for children and the elderly, and build conclusions and advocacy strategies based on the real needs of those to whom public policies most apply.
Tanja Štampar, project manager, She presented the project's goals and activities to the attendees, after which she reviewed the project's results so far, placing special emphasis on the thematic network of partners 4th shift - invisible work, the "JutrosSamStala" campaign, and the research section of the project. Two video clips created as part of the project, relating to mental work and paternity leave, were also premiered at the conference.
Introductory speeches and presentations were given by Margareta Mađerić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy and Višnja Ljubičić, Ombudsperson for Gender Equality. Margareta Mađerić addressed the topics of mental work and the need to reconcile family and work life, and highlighted the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Croatia in the context of improving labor legislation, harmonization with European directives, and innovative work models. Višnja Ljubičić presented the results of her own projects and research that focused on the topic of reconciling family and work life, emphasizing that she receives the most complaints in the area of the labor market, which is why it is necessary to work on an ethical business culture and better implementation of the law.
Suzana Kunac, Fifth Discipline, presented guidelines (created as part of the project) for the development of public policies for the reconciliation of family and work life with applied evidence-based quality standards. The presented guidelines relate to the following areas: 1. adoption of a comprehensive demographic public policy with a clear framework for the reconciliation of family and professional obligations of men and women, 2. availability, vacancies, working hours and prices of nurseries and kindergartens, 3. paternity and parental leave, taking sick leave when a child is sick, 4. extended and full-day programs for children up to 12 years of age, 5. deconstruction of gender stereotypes in secondary socialization as a prerequisite for gender equality and the reconciliation of family and professional obligations of men and women, and 6. reconciliation of work and family life of men and women.
After the introductory speeches and presentation of the guidelines, two thematic panels followed, followed by a discussion. The first panel was entitled Needs and awareness of employers as actors for achieving work-life balanceand the panel was attended by: Željka Josić, State Secretary at the Central State Office for Demography and Youth, Ivana Matić, founder of Women in Adria and Member of the Board of Directors of the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association and Hrvoje Bujas, president of the Voice of Entrepreneurs association. The panel was moderated by Donna Diana PrcicThe panel discussed the following issues: to what extent is the labor market of the Republic of Croatia adapted to allow fathers to use available leave to the same extent as mothers, what challenges employers encounter when employees go on parental leave, what would further encourage employers to develop a culture of using parental leave, especially among male workers, and the like.
The second panel was titled Paternity leave – demographic trends and benefits for children, and was moderated by Antonia RukavinaThe following participated in the panel: Anamarija Sočo, President of the Status M Association, Jasminka Brstilo, Parenting Support Service from the Central State Office for Demography and Youth, Darko Šeperić, Executive Secretary for Public Policies, Projects and Education from the Alliance of Autonomous Communities Croatian trade union and Matija Švaljek, father and husband. The questions discussed at the second panel were as follows: to what extent has the harmonization of the Maternity and Parental Benefits Act contributed to an increase in the number of people using paternity leave, what are the proven benefits of using parental leave by fathers, what challenges do fathers encounter when using parental leave, and the like.
The conference is part of the project “The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and on the demographic picture of Croatia – spaces of change” whose implementation began on 28.10.2020 and lasts 36 months. The value of the project is 3,599,941.69 HRK, of which 15% is financed from the state budget of the Republic of Croatia, and 85% from the European Social Fund. The project aims to strengthen civil society organizations included in the Thematic Network through partnerships, cross-sectoral cooperation with higher education institutions, and local and regional self-government units in order to achieve effective social dialogue with the purpose of developing and proposing adequate public policies, adapted to the cultural specificities of each region, in order to contribute to the harmonization of the private and business lives of citizens of the Republic of Croatia. The project is carried out by the BaBe Budi aktivna association. Be emancipated., and the project partners are: University of Zadar, City of Novska, Vukovar-Srijem County, Association for Human Rights and Civic Participation PaRIter, Association 'HERA' Križevci - For the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, Center for Civic Initiatives Poreč, Women's Association "IZVOR", Croatian Association of Business Women Krug, Domine - organization for the promotion of women's rights, Space for Gender and Media Culture K-Zona, and Croatian Youth Network.
The BaBe Association invites persons interested in volunteering on the SOS telephone to apply for the volunteer program. Volunteering at the SOS hotline involves providing legal information to people who decide to request free legal assistance through our hotline. The very beginning of the volunteer engagement is preceded by training during which each volunteer will receive all the necessary information for quality and responsible counseling and will become familiar with the problem of violence and the needs of women victims of violence, with an emphasis on older women.
If you recognize the value of volunteering and want to use some of your free time to help others, you are the right person for our team! Send your application to our email address babe@babe.hr, with an indication "For volunteering" until May 23, 2023.
The first training for volunteers will be held on May 25, 2023, via the ZOOM application, starting at 1 p.m.Participation in education does not oblige to volunteer Therefore, we invite all interested parties to contact us, including those who cannot spare the extra time to volunteer, but want to deepen their knowledge of the subject. If you only want to participate in the training, please contact us at petra.kontic@babe.hr, with the following information: "For education" until May 23, 2023.
As the project leader of the SURF and SOUND 2.0 project, the BaBe Association organized an initial meeting of representatives of partner organizations at its premises in Zagreb on April 25th with the aim of presenting project activities and agreeing on methods of cooperation. The project concerns the suppression of online violence against women, and is implemented from March 2023 to February 2025 in partnership with the Agency for Electronic Media, the Judicial Academy and the Police Directorate as associated partners.
The meeting presented project activities related to strengthening the capacity of experts, providing specialized support to victims, raising public awareness, and advocating for improved public policies regarding the protection of women from online violence. Among other things, educational workshops for police officers and judicial officials, multi-sectoral discussions for experts, a national campaign, and a two-day international conference are planned.
During the implementation of the project, the BaBe association will provide free support services to victims of online violence: legal counseling, psychological and confidant support, and IT support. More detailed information can be found on the NEON platform - NO to Online Violence! - babe.hr/neon .
The SURF and SOUND 2.0 project is funded by the European Union from the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values program and represents a continuation of the previously successfully implemented two-year SURF and SOUND project, which was implemented by the BaBe Association and the Agency for Electronic Media.
