rime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Sunday expressed his best wishes on the occasion of International Women's Day, underscoring his cabinet's commitment to enabling women to have equal rights in all social areas, including the family life and activities in science, culture and politics.
“Every day is an occasion to express gratitude to women for their marked contribution to all spheres of social life, thus making our society better. Observing International Women’s Day is an additional occasion to recall the long and painstaking path the women have passed to ensure the exercise of fundamental rights in the struggle for social equality and justice. This also reminds us that promoting and enhancing the status of women requires unrelenting dedication and engagement of all the Croatian institutions and society in general,” Plenkovic writes in his message.
He points out that the government enhances the status of women in a steady manner through schemes for their employment, higher maternity benefits, improving conditions for motherhood, and for instance through recognition of motherhood in the pension reform as well as by reinforcing all mechanisms taken to fight the violence and discrimination against women and children.
Three female members of HDZ appointed to senior positions in Europe
On Saturday evening, Plenkovic criticised Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Davor Bernardic statement’s that women were not chosen for the SDP coordinators for preparations for the parliamentary elections, as this task required “proven operatives on the ground” and that “it is not the time to make experiments”.
In this context, Plenkovic recalled that during the term of this government led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), three female officials of the party have been appointed to seniors positions in Europe: Dubravka Suica is the European Commission’s Vice-President for Demography and Democracy, Ivana Maletic is Croatia’s member of the Court of Auditors, whereas Marija Pejcinovic Buric is the current secretary-general of the Council of Europe.
