International Women's Day, which is marked as a reminder of the protest by textile workers in New York in 1857, will this year again be observed in the spirit of raising awareness of gender equality and the everyday gender-based injustice that is still present both in private life and in the workplace.

It all began during a time of rapid industrialization and economic expansion when, due to poor working conditions and low wages, women employed in the clothing and textile industry publicly protested on March 8, 1857, in New York.

In the following years, protests continued on the same date. One of them remained recorded in history as one of the most influential, and that was in 1908 when 15 thousand women marched through New York demanding shorter working hours, better pay, and the right to vote.

Two years later, the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen, organized by the Socialist International, and established ‘International Women's Day’ at the proposal of the famous German socialist Clara Zetkin. After international agreements, it was determined that this day would be celebrated worldwide on March 8.

Society has progressed, but gender-based injustices are still present

Although Croatian society has progressed in raising awareness of gender equality and improving legislation, everyday gender-based injustices from work and employment to violence are still significantly present, warns the Ombudswoman for Gender Equality, Višnja Ljubičić.

She adds that statistical data and everyday reality indicate the fact that in Croatia women and men do not have equal rights and opportunities in all areas of life, with gender discrimination being widespread, along with frequent violence and numerous stereotypes and prejudices.

For example, the Women's Network Croatia recently presented the worrying figure that nine women were killed last year, and in the last 20 years 400 have been deprived of their lives. The SDP Women's Forum said that women are less protected in the labor market, where they work in lower-paid jobs. They point out that last year the average net salary for women was 66 euros lower than the average net salary for men, while the average pension for men is as much as 20 percent higher than the average pension for women.

The Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia, at the panel “Work Tailored to Women: A Workplace Without Violence and Harassment,” also warned that violence and harassment of women in the workplace are silently tolerated. The union points out that in 70 percent of workplace harassment cases, the abusers are bosses, that is, superiors in the workplace.

This year's observance of Women's Day

This, sexual harassment in the workplace, is also one of the issues that will be emphasized at the protests during this year's observance of Women's Day.

Thus, around forty women's associations and organizations will hold an action on Friday at Zagreb's St. Mark's Square titled ”Safe at the Workplace, Free from Abuse” and submit demands to the Government for the urgent resolution of this problem.

They refer to the latest research by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, according to which up to 75 percent of women in the European Union in a professional capacity or in top management positions have experienced sexual harassment.

This year, traditional night marches will also be held in Zagreb, Šibenik, Split, Osijek, Rijeka, and Zagreb, as well as a series of other events across the country.

Source: fenix-magazin.de