MPs on Thursday commended the work of gender ombudsman Visnja Ljubicic and used a debate on a report on her work in 2019 to address President Zoran Milanovic's recent statements and the right to abortion.
Independent MP Marijana Petir noted that Milanovic “has become in the past few days the leader in the promotion of sexism and gender discrimination, of measuring women’s success by inexistent criteria, insults on a personal basis, referring to women in derogatory terms.”
Ljubicic said that coming from such a high position, such messages were worrying and that her office responded not only because of the sexist remarks about women MPs, but also the inappropriate stating of personal information.
Six hospitals denied the right to abortion
Speaking of reproductive rights, Ljubicic said that last year her work also focused on the lack of gynecological teams and the high percentage of medical staff who were conscientious objectors.
Marija Selak of Bridge said conscientious objection was very important and that the extreme left wing was trying to abolish it. She asked how many hospitals denied the right to abortion.
Ljubicic cited six hospitals from 2014 and said that last year her office instructed the relevant ministry to reassign staff so that women who wanted to abort could do so.
She said that during the drafting of a new abortion bill, she would refer to the Constitutional Court’s decision that existing rights could not be restricted.
Application of the Istanbul Convention
Sandra Bencic of the green-left coalition asked how much had been done in the application of the Istanbul Convention.
Ljubicic said it was impossible to expect everything to happen in one year as it required political will and systematic work.
Nada Murganic of the ruling HDZ said the government was investing a lot of effort to protect women from violence and that a lot had been done in the application of the convention, but added that it was a long process and that the government had the necessary political will.
Ljubicic also indirectly confirmed that she is against merging ombudsman’s institutions.
