ZAGREB, 8 March 2022 - Marking International Women's Day, the non-governmental organisation U ime obitelji (In the Name of the Family) said on Tuesday that the two most frequent forms of social injustice that a lot of women in Croatia are faced with is working on Sunday and the the discrimination women who choose to be mothers are subjected to on the labour market.

The NGO underscored that tens of thousands of women who work six days a week are compelled out of fear of losing their jobs to work a seventh day, Sundays and public holidays, without any or with a minimum benefit.

In addition, women who choose to be mothers are left without jobs after falling pregnant, or when they return from maternity leave they are often demoted to a less paid job.

"Recently, we have witnessed an especially negative campaign and stigmatisation of women who choose to stay at home and dedicate themselves to raising their children and caring for their families. Those attacks were launched from positions of political power, focused on beneficiaries of stay at home parenting," the NGO said.

The NGO said that in a plural society every woman has to have the right to choose what sort of life she considers to be the most appropriate for her and her family. The NGO also considers that it is important to financially value often unnoticed work done by women in the family. 

The NGO called on women to report any form of discrimination and on employers and the competent authorities to consistently implement the law. The NGO also called on the government to take the necessary steps to ensure non-working Sundays as a free day for the family and to prevent any discrimination, particularly against pregnant women and mothers.

Congratulating women on International Women's Day, the NGO greeted all women, especially those who, despite the numerous obstacles and pressure, manage to successfully balance their family and work life.

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