Project Summary:

Among members of national minorities in many societies, including Croatia, the group of women and girls is in the most disadvantaged position in terms of access to opportunities, resources and positions of power, as intertwined patterns of inequality based on gender and ethnicity increase the risk of their social exclusion, discrimination and marginalization. The aim of the international joint Croatian-Austrian scientific research project “Gender Dimension of the Croatian Minority Policy” (GEMINI), which is being implemented from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 at the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb and the Center for Southeast European Studies of the University of Graz, is to analyze the gender dimension of Croatian minority policy. The project will therefore investigate the representation of women from national minority communities in Croatia in decision-making and action for social change, both at the national level, at the level of local and regional self-government units, and within their minority communities. The project will also explore the perception of the realization of the rights of women from minority communities, such as the right to reproductive health, the right to access education, the right to work and freedom of work, and protect women from all forms of violence. The project will also address the problem of the lack of scientific and professional papers in the Croatian language that deal with the gender dimension in the area of ​​realizing the rights of members of national minorities, stimulate a discussion among implementers of minority policy on intersectionality in the area of ​​protecting the rights of members of minorities, and contribute to the exchange of knowledge between scientists from different disciplines from partner institutions. The implementation of this project is in line with the goals of the Gender Equality Plan of the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb for the period from 2022 to 2026. The Plan advocates for raising the level of knowledge and awareness of gender equality, multiple discrimination and violence against women by increasing research and teaching activities on the topic of gender equality.

 

Researchers on the project from the Croatian side:

Assoc. Prof. Antonija Petričušić, Project Manager from the Croatian side, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb

Prof. Maja Munivrana, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb

Assoc. Prof. Ana Horvat Vuković, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb

Assoc. Prof. Ivana Radačić, Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar

Dr. Emina Bužinkić, postdoctoral fellow on the HRZZ project “ENDURE: Inequalities, Community Resilience and New Governance Modalities in a Post-Pandemic World” at the Institute for Development and International Relations

Marija Antić, PhD student in Sociology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb and PhD student on the HRZZ project “Regulation of Prostitution in Croatia” at the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences

Nina Čolović, PhD student in Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

Barbara Mašić, PhD student in Political Science at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb

Darija Željko, PhD student in Law, PhD student on the HRZZ “Career Development Project for Young Researchers – Training of New PhDs” at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb

Andreja Fileš-Ružić, MA, PhD student in Legal Sciences at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb

Tea Ritoša, Assistant Professor at the Department of Theory and Methods of Social Work at the Social Work Study Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb

Valentina Kozjak, Assistant Professor at the Department of Theory and Methods of Social Work and PhD student in Social Work at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb

 

Researchers on the project from the Austrian side:

Ass.-Prof. Mag. Dr. iur. Emma Lantschner, Project Leader from the Austrian side, Associate Professor, Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of Graz

Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Roberta Maierhofer, MA, Professor of American Studies at the University of Graz

Dr. theol. Valeryia Saulevich, Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of Graz

Nicole Haring, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Inter-American Studies, University of Graz

Sophia Schönthaler, PhD Student at the University of Graz

Ivana Spirovska, PhD Student at the University of Graz