ZAGREB, (Hina) – The majority of citizens still believe that men and women in Croatia are not fully equal, and interest in this topic remains low, shows the study “Equality on Hold – Attitudes, Knowledge and Perception of Gender Equality in Croatia 2013-2024”, presented on Wednesday.
Helena Štimac Radin, Director of the Office for Gender Equality, emphasised that the latest survey results are not surprising, given that the same areas have been monitored since 2009.
“Most respondents believe that men and women in Croatia are not equal. Women are more likely to hold this view than men, but society in general recognises existing inequalities,” Štimac Radin said.
She warned of a decline in citizens’ awareness of legal protection, noting that fewer people are aware that gender discrimination is punishable.
“Despite long-standing educational activities, many still do not use legal protection mechanisms. This is a serious problem in practice,” she said, adding that in cases of femicide, penalties are often insufficiently deterrent, highlighting the gap between the legal framework and its implementation.
Most citizens reject traditional gender roles and believe that childcare and household responsibilities should be shared more evenly, although in practice this is not the case. They support greater participation of women in politics, yet interest in gender equality topics remains low. The proportion of completely uninterested respondents increased from 65 percent in 2013 to 70 percent in this year’s survey.
Branko AnДЌiД‡, head of the research project at the Institute for Social Research, noted that some citizens increasingly retreat into a “neutral zone” when expressing their opinions, influenced by anti-gender and radicalised discourses.
“Men, older respondents, people of lower socioeconomic status, and rural residents show the least interest,” he said, adding that Croatia has good laws, but the courts often fail, meaning that formal progress is not matched by changes in social norms.
Ana Maskalan from the Centre for Youth and Gender Research at the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb also commented, warning that the level of gender equality in Croatia is among the lowest in the EU. According to the Gender Equality Index for 2025, Croatia ranks 21st, with only six EU member states scoring lower.
“Research shows that a large proportion of citizens either have not formed an opinion on gender equality or avoid answering,” Maskalan said.
Respondents perceive the greatest inequality in the labour market, particularly in wages and career advancement, while education and politics appear as areas with smaller gaps. Long-term data indicate slow progress but also worrying trends, especially among economically vulnerable groups, those living in smaller communities, or those holding more traditional views.
The survey included 1,402 respondents, and the results confirm that, despite some progress, structural and social barriers to gender equality remain strongly present.
