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Description
In the last 10 months, 14 cases of femicide were recorded. It is a hate crime against women motivated by the gender of the victim. The number of murders of women (intimate or non-intimate femicide) shows a growing tendency (14 women were killed in 2021 which is already reached on October 31, 2023). The system does not recognize femicide as a separate criminal offense, although the provisions of femicide are defined by the current Criminal Code. Not a single case of femicide in practice has been characterized as the killing of a woman because she is a woman.
Domine reacted at the end of 2021, after the murder of a woman at her place of work in Split by her ex-partner, with an action that warned of the need for a serious response from institutions to the problem of femicide. A flag was symbolically unfurled with the message: "Not one victim more - not one woman less". The Ministry of the Interior Affairs used that slogan in its campaign for the National Day Against Violence Against Women. Since then, the term femicide is regularly used in the media when we talk about murders of women, which is progress and an indicator of the contribution to raising awareness on this problem. Croatia is at the very top of European countries in terms of the number of women killed per 100,000 inhabitants (Croatia has 3,4, average in most countries is 1,6). EIGE research showed that the number of femicides and gender-based violence is disproportionate to the integration of gender equality through laws and public policies. Our goal is to gather in one place female experts from civil society organizations, media, politics, independent institutions and the academics, and through an expert discussion determine whether femicide should be defined as a specific criminal offense or advocate a change in judicial practice of hate related murders of women. The project addresses decision-makers at the national level.
Summary of project results
In 10 months, 14 cases of femicide were recorded in Croatia. It is a hate crime against women motivated by the gender of the victim. The number of murders of women (intimate or non-intimate femicide) shows a growing tendency. While 14 women were killed in 2021, that number was already reached on October 31st this year. The system does not recognize femicide as a separate criminal offense, although the provisions of femicide are defined by the current Criminal Code. Not a single case of femicide in practice has been characterized as the killing of a woman because she is a woman.
Domine reacted at the end of 2021, after the murder of a woman at her place of work in Split by her ex-partner, with an action that warned of the need for a serious response from institutions to the problem of femicide. A flag was symbolically unfurled with the message: "Not one victim more - not one woman less". The Ministry of the Interior used that slogan in its campaign for the National Day Against Violence Against Women. Since then, the term femicide is regularly used in the media when we talk about murders of women, which is progress and an indicator of the contribution to raising awareness on this problem. Croatia is at the very top of European countries in terms of the number of women killed per 100,000 inhabitants. While in most countries that average is 1.6. Croatia is among the countries with twice the average, 3.4. EIGE research showed that the number of femicides and gender-based violence is disproportionate to the integration of gender equality through laws and public policies.
The following activities were carried out: - A working group of 12-16 activists and experts was formed
- 4 online meetings were held and the level of knowledge about femicide and assumptions for legal solutions in the criminal justice system of the Republic of Croatia was raised.
- A one-day expert meeting on femicide in the Republic of Croatia was held, where the work of the expert group will be presented to institutions and the public
- Formed a proposal for the legal definition of the term femicide
- Formed advocacy plan with developed methodology and tools, defined measures, deadlines and responsibilities
We formed an expert working group that would deal with the topic of the legal definition of femicide. A working group composed of feminist activists with direct experience of working with victims of gender-based violence and male violence against women, legal academic theorists, independent consultants, media experts and representatives of independent bodies for gender equality studied the legislative framework for three months and proposed a legislative solution for femicide. . In addition, the expert group developed an advocacy plan, mechanisms and tools for the implementation of the proposed legislative solution.