The Women's Network of Croatia (ZMH) slammed on Tuesday the government's National Plan for Gender Equality as shameful, saying it shows that the government "intends to continue its policy of ignoring women's rights."

“After seven full years in which gender equality was not a political issue for this government, after numerous tragic cases of the murder of women and denial of medical assistance, the government has drawn up a shameful document that shows that it intends to continue the policy of ignoring women’s rights,” the Network’s coordinator, Sanja Juras, said.

The national plan practically does not introduce any measures aimed at women and the problem of gender equality and violence against women. The measures concern men and women equally, like those concerning entrepreneurship, and are not aimed at gender equality at all, she said.

ZMH, therefore, demands a serious approach to gender equality by the government.

ZMH coordinator Bojana Genov said the plan is bad, sketchy, and full of inadequacies. The worst thing is that it is a fraud because the funds for the implementation of the measures have already been spent or are minimal for achieving the goals.

Of 305 million kuna, 69% has already been spent

ZMH underscored that 305 million kuna is planned for gender equality, but a closer look shows that 69% is intended for programs that expire this year and for which the funds have already been spent.

“The plan is completely fake. With it, the government has once again shown that it does not have any political will to raise the issue of gender equality as an important topic,” Genov said.

ZMH activist Mirjana Kucer said that two basic issues regarding women’s rights – the right to a safe abortion and the protection of women’s sexual and reproductive health – do not exist in the plan at all.