Gender Equality Ombudsperson

On October 28th 2011, the Croatian Parliament appointed Ms. Višnja Ljubičić as the new Ombudswoman for Gender Equality, the head of the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality, an independent body for combating discrimination in the area of gender equality.

Curriculum Vitae

Višnja Ljubičić, Ombudswoman for Gender Equality of the Republic of Croatia

Preobraženska 4, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Tel: +385 1 48 48 100
Fax: +385 1 48 44 600
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Web: www.prs.hr

Date of birth:

August 20th, 1963, Zagreb, Croatia

Work experience:

2001-2011 - Advisor/Head of the Department in the Governmental Office for Human Rights;

1993-2001 - Advisor/Chief of the Department and Head of the Secretarial Office in the Ministry of Defense;

1990-1993 - Legal counselor in a Trading Company – Foreign Branch Office in Zagreb;

1987-1989 - Internship in a Commercial Court in Zagreb

Education and vocational training:

2011-2012 – One year training in management, Ministry of Public Administration;
2006 – Expert trainer of police officers for combating hate crimes (ODIHR, Budapest);
2004 – Training on gender statistics within Sweden International Development Agency/SIDA, Vienna;
2003 – School of International Humanitarian Law at the Institute of International Humanitarian Law in San Remo and Geneva;
2003 – Civil service certificate, Ministry of Public Administration;
2002 – Training on Human Rights at Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights, University of Lund/Stockholm;
2001 – Training on Legal System of European Union at the American University in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria;
1999 – Training about the structure of EU at the School of Economy in London;
1999 – Education on Violence against Women in Army Basis and Peace Corps, American Naval Postgraduate School;
1987 - Degree in law, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb 

Professional experience

2001-2011

- Member of Croatian delegation on conferences and in work groups of European Commission OESS, UN, ECRI, TAIX;
- Responsible for the Protocol on Procedures in Hate Crime Cases within completion of measures in regards to Chapter 23;
- Head of the Working Group for Estimating Projects of the Civil Society Organizations in Croatia on the position of the Governmental Office for Human Rights;
- Member of the Working Group for drafting the National Strategy for Protection Against Domestic Violence and Protocol for Action in Cases of Domestic Violence;
- Member of the Working Group for drafting National Policy for Promotion of Gender Equality;
- Member of the Working Group for drafting National Program of Protection and Promotion of Human Rights

 2008-2011

 - Secretary-member of the Working Group for regulating rights for compensation for the time spent in concentration camps from 1941 till 1945 to the citizens of the Republic of Croatia;
- Member of the Working Group for drafting National Report on Implementation of Goals from Millennium Declaration of UN;
- Secretary-member of the Working Group for drafting National Strategy for Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination;
- Coordinator of the Working Group for drafting VI, VII and VIII report of the Republic of Croatia on implementation of UN Convention on Elimination of all forms of Racial discrimination/CERD;
- Lecturer/trainer of police officers in OESS/ODIHR “Program of training of police officers for combating hate crimes at the Police Academy;                                                                                                                               - Lecturer on Diplomatic Academy;

2005-2006

- Coordinator and lecturer in: “Anti-discrimination“ and „Gender Equality“ on screening-bilateral meetings of the Croatian Government and European Commission for Chapter 19 – Social policy and employment
- Organizer  and moderator of several conferences and round tables, for example: regional conference „Dangers from Pedophilia“, „Arguments  pro & contra legalization of prostitution“, "Status of Women in Religious Communities“ etc.

2003

- Leader/lecturer of educational workshops for high school students and teachers within the project "Education of Young People on Gender Equality“
- Leader/lecturer of workshops for high schools students and teachers within the project of the Governmental Office for Human Rights "Educating Young People on Reproductive Rights", “Prevention of Cervical Tumor and colposcopy“;
- Member of the Project Committee „Roma Women Can Do It“;

2002

- Member of the Working Group for drafting the first Gender Equality Act (passed in 2003);
- Member of the Working Group for drafting first National Strategy for Combating Violence against Women;

1993-2001

- Military training through various support programs of the American army (violence against women in army basis, sexual harassment, leadership, managing conflict situations in army systems),
- Vocational visits to the American Ministry of Defense in Washington in regards to the development of the civil-military relationships of NATO association and countries of South East Europe;
- Implementation of the expert supervision of the expertise of army-disciplinary courts and prosecution offices in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Osijek,
- Lecturer on Croatian Military Academy in Zagreb within a seminar for education of active military personnel for personnel department of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia

 Memberships

- Croatian Standards Institute – Technical Committee for Social Responsibility (since 2010);
- National Board of the Croatian Government for Education for Human Rights and Democratic Citizenship (2010-2011 - secretary);
- Interagency Expert Group for Monitoring Action Plans for Implementing the National Plan for Combating Discrimination for the Period 2008- 2013 (2010-2011, coordinator);
- Interagency Work Group for Monitoring Hate Crimes (2010-2011, coordinator);
- OESS/ODIHR Program to Combat Hate Crimes (2006-2010 – focal-point in Croatia);
- Governmental Committee for Human Rights  (member 2002-2004; 2004-2011 - secretary);
- Governmental Council for Children (2005);
- Governmental Commission for the Prevention of Behavioral Disorders in Children and Adolescents (2005-2011);
- Working Group for Women of the Working Community Alps-Adriatic (2003-2008 – representative of the Republic of Croatia);
- Working Group for Gender Equality of the Stability Pact (2001-2002 – representative of the Republic of Croatia);
- National Committee for International Humanitarian Law (2001);
- Institute of Public Law (2000);

Volunteer work:

2006-2010 – Organization for Support and Education of Victims of Mobbing
2004-2006 - Transparency International Croatia

Medals, ranks, commendations, letters of honor:

2005 - "Hrabri telefon" (Brave Phone), phone line for abused and neglected children – letter of honor for support of the Brave Phone and contribution in the area of protection of abused and neglected children;
1999 – The President of the Republic of Croatia – medal Spomenica Domovinske zahvalnosti
1998 – assigned a rank of captain
1997 – The President of the Republic of Croatia - medal Red hrvatskog pletera
1997 – The President of the Republic of Croatia – medal Spomenica Domovinske zahvalnosti
1997 – Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia – Commendation for Professionalism and Efforts
1996 – assigned a rank of Lieutenant

Foreign languages:

-    English, fluently
-    Latin, basic