Intervju s Bojanom Genov, glavnom koordinatoricom Ženske mreže Hrvatske: Ženska mreža Hrvatske ili "našminkani vragovi u suknjama"
Interview with Bojana Genov, main coordinator of the Croatian Women's Network: Croatian Women's Network or "the make-up-wearing devils in skirts"

Summary/Abstract: Bojana Genov speaks on Women's Network Croatia, which is a network consisting of 45 women's organisations, groups and initiatives that recognise both political and economic discrimination against women in Croatia, and the marginalization of their status. Organisations, groups and initiatives that wish to become part of the Women's Network act in under with the feminist principles, which have been agreed upon beforehand, and respect certain values advocated by the Network. Speaking about the Network's development history, Genov points out that women's organisations were also active before the 90s, but it was not until the 90s that the legal framework for establishing and networking organisations had been created. Of course, this was influenced by the war, sudden arrival of foreign donors and there was enough money for every initiative. Many women's organisations originated from various humanitarian organisations, and their first drive was to provide assistance. Some of them later grew into feminist organisations, some still did not, but nevertheless all these organisations form the Croatian Women's Network. The name Croatian Women's Network has been in use since 1996, when international organisation Star Delphi Project invited Croatian women's groups' representatives for a meeting, but this should not be regarded as the Network's starting point. It was just an opportunity for all the women, who already knew each other and worked and communicated with each other, to gather in one place, and someone covered hotel expenses for three days, and thus only enabled groups and individuals to spend time together and decide what to do next. It was not decided to form a strong network on the occasion, exactly because the third party wanted it and called the meeting. The Network has been registered only two years ago, as it was concluded that there is number of practical benefits from registration of the network as a union of associations. She also comments the work on CEDAW: "We in the Croatian Women's Network have initiated the forming of the gender equality co-ordination, consisting of the head of the Governmental Office for Gender Equality, Ombudswoman for gender equality, president of the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality, member of UN-CEDAW committee and a representative of Croatian Women's Network." She states "the Law on Gender Equality is the best proof that Croatian society has ambivalent attitude towards women's rights. On one side, Croatia wants to prove that it does not lag behind the European standards: the law on gender equality was passed, and all these offices and committees were formed. On the other side, no one has a clue that such a law even exists. Those who are supposed to obey it, feel a strong resistance towards it. The politicians treat women the same way the ancient men did, and the common denominator for most of law provisions and regulations is that there are no sanctions for not implementing them."

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