The share of women on supervisory boards is 23 percent, while the percentage in management boards is only 16 percent, according to data on corporate governance in Croatia. The entire society is fighting against the problem of inequality at all levels, but various regulations are being implemented to address this issue. At the end of 2022, an EU directive aimed at improving gender balance in the management and supervisory boards of publicly listed companies came into effect. Specifically, the European Commission requires member states to report on measures taken by the end of 2025. In other words, at least 40 percent of non-executive director positions, or 33 percent of all director positions, must be women. Gender (in)equality was also the topic of today’s conference organized by the Croatian Employers’ Association and the Embassy of Canada, held at the HUP premises.
– Without concrete legal regulation, nothing will change – said Irene Weber, the CEO of HUP, who also welcomed the directive and announced that HUP will contribute to the development of gender-sensitive policies and culture among employers.
The importance of political will was also confirmed by the Canadian Ambassador to Croatia Jessica Blitt, who also presented a handbook for companies with advice on achieving greater representation of women in management positions.
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Ivan Malenica, the Minister of Administration and Justice, addressed the attendees, mentioning that there are slightly more than 80 percent women in the Croatian judiciary.
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On the other hand, the Deputy Mayor of Zagreb Daniela Dolenec shared the experience of the Možemo! party when the state sued them for having too many women on their list during the local elections in 2021, but they won that case by proving they did not violate the Gender Equality Act.
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More Diversity, Better Results
During the panel discussion on gender equality in management positions, Weber stated that she believes the private sector will embrace the European directive. On the other hand, Berry Vrbanović, the mayor of the Canadian city of Kitchener, emphasized political will as a crucial factor in achieving gender equality.
– It all starts with the government, or with leadership as a very important thing. Times are changing, and we need to not only talk about it but also take action. For example, in our county, which has seven cities, five of them have female mayors – added Vrbanović.
He also mentioned that companies do not have legally regulated quotas for hiring women in high positions, but it has already become a practice for them.
Anita Letica highlighted on the panel that at Philip Morris Zagreb, which she leads, the number of women in management positions is even higher than the quota.
– It’s about building a mindset, or an environment where we all have equal opportunities. The results show that the more of us there are, the more diverse we are, and the more we give each other a chance to express our opinions, the better decisions we will make, and thus achieve better results – said Letica.
Joe Bašić, founder and director of the marketing and promotional agency MPG, agreed on the importance of diverse opinions.
– We are happy that this trend is here because it is important for us to have different opinions, to make different decisions, and to follow trends. The fact that there are more women in the overall population is further proof that this is necessary, especially in our industry. We are proud that this way of thinking prevails in our company culture – added Bašić, commenting that while it may seem from the outside that gender equality is achieved in the entertainment culture, men still dominate the management structure.
The Role of Education and Encouragement
Participants agreed with the statement of moderator Nataša Novaković, director for ESG at HUP, that a lack of ambition and less networking are reasons for the lower number of women in management positions, but they also provided concrete solutions for this.
– I have a lot of experience talking to women in our company who wanted to advance. I must admit, as an employer, I often have to encourage women to think more seriously about their opportunities to move forward. I think the role of education is very important here, and this conversation we are having today is a step forward – said Bašić.
In addition to encouragement and breaking down stereotypes, networking plays an important role in introducing women into management positions.
– Networking in Canada has many support groups, for example, groups just for women. This is done to include as many women as possible in the same positions. Another very important thing is to react when something is wrong – commented Vrbanović.
Whatever the reason for the underemployment of women in high positions, according to the aforementioned directive, companies on the stock exchanges will have to meet a certain percentage of hiring women. Accordingly, HUP has already begun preparations by launching the initiative Business Women’s Database. It gathers all women who are ready to take on one of the management positions in companies.
– We want to show that the number of women who are ready to take on and occupy managerial positions is indeed enormous and extremely extensive. And we want to be ready and have candidates prepared for those positions – concluded Weber, expressing disbelief that this still needs to be discussed in 2024.
