BPW International

Due to the fact that data about the gender pay gap in Croatia are not yet included on the Eurostat web page, the comparison of the situation in Croatia with those in other EU countries becomes somewhat difficult. Still, some data do exist on the bases of which the issue of the gender pay gap can be approached.

The new Gender Equality Act was brought up in July 2008. It regulates general principles for the promotion of gender equality as one of the fundamental values of the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia. It also defines and regulates the manner of protection against discrimination based on sex and creation of equal opportunities for women and men. In 2006, the National Policy for the Promotion of Gender Equality 2006- 2010 was adopted. It represents the basic strategic document of the Republic of Croatia adopted in order to eliminate the discrimination against women and to establish a genuine gender equality by the implementation of the policy of equal opportunities for the period from 2006 to 2010.

The recent study done inside the EU IPA project on women in the labour market in Croatia analyzed differences in net earnings of men and women by educational attainment, age, and occupation, and found out that discriminatory practices are in place, and though “gender-based discrimination seems to be more prevalent in occupations with lower skills and at lower educational attainment levels, (…) there seems to be a continuous age-based discrimination over the life-cycle earnings by gender”

The Gender Equality Ombudsman in the Report for 2010 presented some results from the research undertaken about gender pay gap in three companies in Croatia (full research is not yet available). The report showed that there is a need to investigate gender pay gap not only at the level of the whole company but at the level of different units (where gender pay gap can vary significantly from the gap found at the level of company), and in relation to specificoccupational structure.
The general conclusion of the Report was that gap is not a result of intentional discrimination of women, but is mainly a result of horizontal segregation at the labour market. It, however, fully justifies the need for analyzing pay gap in Croatian companies.

BPW Pula recognizes and supports  Equal pay day principles.
BPW Pula  as a small club has not a political influence, but it struggles by fostering business information, business education and business lobbying for BPW members and women entrepreneurs in general.

Alida Perkov

President BPW Pula, Croatia

Chair BPW Danube Net 2009-2012