Stories

SDG 5: The national campaign for women's empowerment Sofija in Croatia

„The position of women is a human and social issue, not just a female one!„

03.06.2020.

Why did you start this campaign in Croatia?

"The main goal of The national campaign for women's empowerment "Sofija" is the active empowerment and education that will contribute to the personal development and support for the unemployed and abused women. Throughout the campaign, we want them to learn how to cope with the challenges in society and prepare for more active participation in the labor market. Our goal is to increase public awareness of the struggles that they are facing and there are numerous: gender inequality, a choice between career and family, gender pay gap, and all the issues that are on the path of equality.

Our ambassador is Mirela Priselac Remi, a Croatian rapper, singer, and songwriter. She is well known for her authenticity and speaking about the position of women in modern society, a fighter for women's rights, and gender equality."

How did everything start?

Sanja and Ljerka are the two women that started this campaign and their reasons are very simple:

"We launched The national campaign for women's empowerment "Sofija" because we wanted to get more actively involved and start a conversation about what is often called "women's issues". Why quotes? Because we believe that the position of women in the 21st century is a human and social issue, not just a female one. We want to reach out to every place where women are abused and neglected, and we want to achieve this with an innovative approach and a comprehensive program of women's empowerment. The hashtag for our campaign on Instagram and Facebook is #strongerthanyouthink because every one of us is stronger than we give ourselves the credit for."

Which activities are a part of the "Sofija"?

"Our activities for The national campaign for women's empowerment "Sofija" are carried out through 3 main components: social skills improvement workshops, self-defense workshops, and education of experts. Workshops will be held in all counties (21 locations in Croatia) for two target groups:

• unemployed women, victims of violence, and

• experts working with these groups.

For more information about our work and progress visit our web pages Sofija Association and The national campaign for women's empowerment „Sofija“.

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