ZAGREB, 8 March 2022 - Despite greater employability and more women in leading positions they are still insufficiently represented in the economy, particularly at the highest levels which indicates that there are still significant legal, structural and cultural obstacles to their full equality, it was heard at a conference on Tuesday.
The conference - An economy without prejudice strengthening the economy by empowering women - was organised on the occasion of International Women's Day by the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) and International Network of Business Women.
The status of women in Croatian society hasn't changed drastically despite a lot of stakeholders being included in changing the mood and awareness, Milka Kosanović from HUP said. She said that women are still paid less than men, with women earning 84% to 87% of the pay of their male colleagues for the same job. Today 79% of girls enrol in higher education and 49% gain higher qualifications.
"When they start climbing up the career ladder, women are faced with something we know as the glass ceiling. They don't advance equally with men and certain positions are not accessible to them and they are paid 13% to 16% less for similar jobs," said Kosanović.
It is necessary to systematically work on changing the mindset of women too. Women need to be aware that they can do everything men can and society needs to live by the principles it advocates," she added.
Gordana Matković, the owner of the Educamix for the development of human potential and a member of the International Network of Business Women said that more than 100 years have passed since the start of the struggle for equal rights, however, even today we are talking about the inequality of women.
That is why in fact the network organised today's conference to motivate society to think about ways of improving the status of women.
Congratulating women on the occasion of International Women's Day HUP Director-General Damir Zorić said that things can always be better. He added that he was glad that women have recognised HUP as a possible platform where they can act and improve things.
