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.
