Zagreb – On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, Croatian President Ivo Josipović, in cooperation with the UN in Croatia, organized a round table conference on violence against women with the aim of creating the Network of Men Leaders, a network of men in leadership position who would serve as role models and put the important message across that violence against women needs to be stopped.
Josipović and his wife Tatjana hosted in the Presidential Palace Parliament Speaker Boris Šprem, Prime Minister Zoran Milanović, Minister of Justice Orsat Miljenić, Minister of Science, Education and Sports Željko Jovanović, Minister of Labour and Pension System Mirando Mrsić, Chief State Attorney Mladen Bajić as well as representatives of several women’s associations and other non-governmental organizations. Josipović introduced them to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s initiative to create the Network of Men Leaders in an effort to encourage men in leadership positions to set examples and thus contribute to the fight against violence towards women.
Boris Šprem observed that women nowadays finally could and did speak up about domestic violence, but warned about the importance of preventive measures to be taken by the state and by the society in order to avert domestic violence. Croatian Parliament had passed numerous laws complying with European standards intended to protect women in all areas of discrimination. (Hina)