| Statement
by Martina Belic, B.a.B.e.
To the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women
On the Second and Third Periodic Report of the Government of Croatia
17 January 2005
Thank you, Madam Chair
for giving me the opportunity to address the Committee. I am Martina
Belic and I speak on the behalf of B.a.B.e. national women’s human
rights NGO. I will cover two main issues relating serious breaches
of women’s rights in Croatia, and my colleague will cover remaining
issues. Since combined Initial and First Report submitted to the
Committee (January, 1998), the problems related to improvement of
status of women in Croatia and elimination of discrimination against
women have been: within the legal framework although it has been
improved, in the implementation of legal provisions and measures
of National Policy for Promotion of Sex Equality (December, 2001),
as well as in misunderstanding of important concepts like gender
mainstreaming. More often than not, the lack of political will is
one of the primary reasons why numerous legal provisions and measures
have not been implemented (e.g. in the area of diminishing stereotypes
in media, education; in the area of labor). Also, the newly formed
and still weak mechanisms for gender equality, combined with slow
and uneducated judiciary system has been detrimental for the insuring
de facto equality between men and women.
Regarding
Article 2 and General Recommendation 19
The definition of gender
based violence is non-existent in our law. The violence against
women is mainly seen as family violence and has witnessed the promulgation
of the Law on Protection against Family Violence that has serious
shortcomings (violence treated as misdemeanor and consequently punishable
with the fine). The family violence can be also prosecuted according
to the provision of Penal Code that deals with the issue, but lack
of clear procedures in police and prosecution lead to prevailing
usage of charges for misdemeanor. The lack of statistics on the
verdicts is significant, as it precludes the possibility of analysis
and further improvement of the legislature.
Insufficient
supportive measures for the victims prevent their re-socialisation.
The number of shelters is minute when compared with the needs, the
legal representation on the courts is costly and not subsidised,
and there is no organised and timely psychosocial aid to victims.
Recommendations:
a)
Changing the shortcomings of existing legislature by defining
gender based violence, by securing better protection of women
through changes in Law on Protection against Family Violence;
b) Introduction of systematic education of all professionals
dealing with victims of violence against women;
d) Securing sufficient and long term financial resources for
shelters;
e) Implementation of programs for life long education for
the victims free of charge in order to secure their economic
independence.
|
Regarding Article 3
The key problem
regarding gender sensitive statistics and segregated data collection
is lack of the accessible and comprehensive point where the data
on women’s economic, social, cultural and political status can be
easily accessible. In some area, the gender segregated data collection
is completely missing (e.g. court statistics).
| Recommendations:
Improvement
of gender sensitive and segregated data collection, annual
publishing of statistics and proper dissemination.
|
According to the Law
on Sex Equality, two new national mechanisms were established at
the end of 2003 (Office of Ombudsperson for Sex Equality) and governmental
Office for Sex Equality at the beginning of 2004. The already existing
Committee on Sex Equality within the parliament has been continuously
working.
Since 1997,
Croatia has also experienced development of regional and municipal
gender equality mechanisms. Although there are serious shortcomings
(uneducated members, lack of professional support, meager financial
resources, lack of cooperation among the gender equality mechanisms),
fact that some regional and municipal units showed political will
to found the mechanisms is encouraging.
| Recommendations:
a)
Definition of clear scope of work and coordination of all
gender equality mechanisms in Croatia;
b) Evaluation of the work of newly established national mechanisms
after 4 years of their work;
c) Education of the members of gender equality commissions
and committees as well as profesionalisation of one person
in each county and provision of financial resources for the
work of gender equality mechanisms;
d) Permanent gender sensitive education of all civil servants
at all levels (national, regional, municipal). |
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