ZAGREB, 5 March 2022 - RTL accounts for the largest share of TV features in which women appear (39%), followed by Croatian Television (37%) and Nova TV (33%), and the three stations' combined average is 36%, according to an analysis whose findings were presented on Saturday at a conference on women in the media sphere.

The analysis was done last October by the Electronic Media Agency, which examined 93 news programmes with 2,439 features. Women appeared in 889.

Women mainly appeared in features on science, health and welfare, followed by social and legal topics, while politics and the government accounted for only 15%.

Culture minister: Stereotypes exist, but we have become more aware

Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said expert speakers on political topics were mainly men, resulting in their dominance in the media sphere.

Stereotypes exist, but it is encouraging that we are more aware of the need to affirm gender equality in the media sphere and the position of women in society, she said, adding that it is also encouraging that the data on Croatia are better than on some other states.

The goal is to promote equality and women's contribution to society through all public policies, including the media policy, she said, underlining the need to encourage media literacy in order to reduce hate speech, primarily on social media.

MEP: Women work one month in the year for free

We can be satisfied with the progress in the visibility of women in the media sphere, said Croatian MEP Sunčana Glavak, who organised the conference in cooperation with the Electronic Media Agency as part of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

We have better data than other EU countries, but the pay gap shows that women work one month in the year for free, she said, adding that irregularities and inequalities must be changed. "We are doing that at European Parliament level."

Glavak said that by increasing women's representation in the media, it was necessary to encourage young women to fight for better power positions.

It is important that women in the media don't talk only about women's topics, she said, adding that there are still not enough women in decision making and heading management boards. "Data tell us that we need 67 years to achieve women's equality."

Gender Equality Ombudswoman Višnja Ljubičić said an analysis of 140 management companies showed that women were still far from being equal to men.

Equality can be achieved only through education, she said, adding that training courses with employers are necessary as well as transparency in choosing people.

ZAGREB, 22 Feb 2022 - The Zlatni Vitraj Artistic Glassblowing School was inaugurated in Stranići near Poreč, Istria County on Tuesday as the first of 22 events planned in Croatia to mark the UN International Year Of Glass 2022.

These are moments when the strength of a community, as well as of an individual, is felt, Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said at the ceremony, thanking the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Arts, which founded the school, for including this project in the UN International Year Of Glass and thus helping Croatia to find an important place on that world map.

"It's a privilege when we have such enthusiasm and when there are people who make their life project so valuable that it will eventually contribute to the community, and we are here to support it. Croatia is one of the states with a truly representative antique glass museum in Zadar, whereby we testify to the continuity of artisanship as well as art in glass through the centuries," the minister said.

She added that the process of protecting glassblowing crafts in the Zagreb area as an intangible cultural heritage was under way.

The Zlatni Vitraj Artistic Glassblowing School was founded to rescue artistic glassblowing from extinction, said Josip Deutsch of the Glass & Art Association for the Promotion of Traditional Arts.

"With this event we celebrate the past, present and future of glass as a very transformative material," he added.