The conservative opposition party Bridge said on Saturday that gender studies were "unnecessary to Croatian society and education", referring to the announcement by the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Humanities and Socials Sciences that it was planning to introduce a Gender Studies program in the academic year 2025/2026.

The party said in a statement that it respects “the autonomy of universities and the freedom to deliberate on all aspects of reality and the phenomena shaping our society, regardless of their complexity or possible controversy.” It added that each degree program should be cost-effective and that the implicit value of education comes from encouraging efforts “to know the objective truth”.

“Instead of trying to fathom natural phenomena using the acquired knowledge and virtues, gender theory tries to adapt the truth to its own impulses and desires. The direct consequence of such definition is subjectivisation of science, which is in contradiction with the centuries-old academic history of the West characterised by the atmosphere of intellectual curiosity,” the statement said.

It is clear that this program, financed by taxpayers’ money, will educate students who will again be employed with the support of public funding and in non-governmental organisations, often international ones, the party said.

On the other hand, Bridge says it does not see any direct social benefit from training new experts in the field of gender studies.

Although society should nominally benefit from this program in terms of reducing gender-based discrimination, the program is reminiscent of the Istanbul Convention, which offered an ultimate solution to the problem of violence against women, the party says, adding that the Istanbul Convention has proved to be “painfully non-functioning” and “a training ground for syphoning budgetary funds to non-governmental organisations of at least a questionable character.”

The party also believes that gender theory subtly promotes a direct conflict between men and women as well as historical revenge, portraying only women as being oppressed and persecuted throughout history.

“This idea, which is dangerous for the survival of civilisation and our people, alienates the male gender from the female gender, but also the gender as such, has proved to create a society of chaos and confusion,” Bridge pointed out.

“From the point of view of outcomes and implicit values ​​of education, Bridge maintains that Gender Studies does not bring added value to Croatian society, and once again calls for prudence in making the final decision on its introduction,” the statement said.