Implementation period of the first year of the project: 1.4.2024. – 31.12.2024.
Project finances: National Foundation for Civil Society Development
Total project value: 80.000 €
Description project:
The thematic systematic support of the National Foundation for Civil Society Development in the area of "Reconciling private and business life" is a continuation of the project from 2015. "Women in the labor market - gender impact assessment" and a project that ended in 2023. "The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and on the demographic picture of Croatia - spaces of change" who, thanks to scientific research (Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb and Faculty of Philosophy in Zadar - Department of Sociology), confirmed that the issue of balancing obligations in private and business life is closely linked to social policy and measures aimed at providing assistance for the care and attention of dependent family members, the flexibilization of work and working hours of employees, tax policy, health insurance, poverty rates, demographic trends and generally available services at the national and local levels, and is closely linked to the roles and expectations that women and men have in the family, but also to the expectations imposed by the labor market.
Of particular interest to us is the position of women in the labor market, their social status and gender roles in the family, which are marked by the specificity of Croatian society, which, although integrated into the political and economic framework of the European Union, is faced with inflation and global economic risks, with significant demographic changes due to emigration and negative natural growth, and employment with growth characteristics during the tourist season. All available data confirm that one of the greatest obstacles to greater employment of women and their career advancement is the need to reconcile family and work obligations.
The aim of the project is to raise awareness among the general population, employers and decision-makers about the importance of changing traditional gender roles and establishing gender equality, as well as changing inadequate public policies as a prerequisite for improving the quality of family life, halting negative demographic trends, increasing women's participation in the labor market and supporting employers to retain a quality workforce in Croatia. This is a continuation of the association's many years of work on contributing to the improvement of public policies in the area of balancing private and work obligations of employees.
Activities in the first year of project implementation include continuing cooperation with higher education institutions, conducting a public advocacy campaign based on the results obtained through scientific research, holding thematic conferences on models of balancing private and work life with relevant stakeholders, and media publications that contribute to raising awareness among the public and relevant stakeholders about the complexity of the topic.
