Zagreb - Women hold 49 of the 150 seats in the Croatian Parliament, or 33%, while only four of the 30 parliamentary committees have an equal gender balance, according to an analysis by the parliamentary Gender Equality Committee. Nine committees show a markedly uneven representation.
The Credentials and Privileges Commission stands out for having no female members, while the Gender Equality Committee is composed of 88% women. The latter is chaired by Marija Lugarić of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and includes ten female MPs and three external female members, alongside Deputy Chair Tomislav Josić and the only male member, Nikola Grmoja of the Bridge party.
The only committee with full gender parity is the Tourism Committee.
Committees with particularly low female representation include those on defence (5% women), the constitution and standing orders (11%), maritime affairs (17%), the environment (19%), war veterans (20%) and domestic policy and national security (23%).
The only women on the Constitution Committee are MP Sandra Benčić (We Can!) and external member Ana Lovrin, while the sole woman on the Defence Committee is Sabina Glasovac (SDP), who is also the only woman among the five deputy speakers of parliament.
Four committees - on tourism, European affairs, interparliamentary cooperation and the Anti-Corruption Council - have achieved a balanced gender composition.
Women make up 57% of the European Affairs Committee, chaired by Jelena Miloš (We Can!), with deputy chair Majda Burić (HDZ). The committee has seven female MPs, four external female members, seven male MPs and two appointed male members.
The Tourism Committee, chaired by Sanja Radolović (SDP) with deputy chair Antun Kliman (HDZ), includes five female MPs and two external female members, along with six male MPs and one external male member.
The Interparliamentary Cooperation Committee, chaired by Kristina Ikić Baniček (SDP), includes 19 female and 21 male members, meaning women account for 48%.
The Anti-Corruption Council, chaired by Mirela Ahmetović (SDP), includes four female and five male members, with women making up 45%.
Of the 30 committee chairs, 12 are women (40%), while women hold nine of the 30 deputy chair positions (30%).
The Gender Equality Committee joined the European Parliament's initiative marking European Gender Equality Week, held from 3 to 9 November, at the invitation of European Parliament Vice-President Antonella Sberna.