In mid-June, we organized the first benefit concert of our Croatian Women’s Fund, which is the only one in Croatia that provides direct financial assistance to women and children who have survived violence. The noble goal of the concert motivated great musicians to participate, and in the summer garden of the Vintage Industrial bar, Zdenka Kovačiček, Lu Jakelić, Nina Romić, Jelena Galić, Miki Solus, Vilim Mance and DJ Luna performed. All funds collected from ticket sales were donated to the Women’s Fund, and the full garden of visitors showed us that when we come together, we can support those who need it most.
“Communities thrive when individuals come together to support each other. This is particularly evident in times of crisis, but the importance of community support and continued philanthropic giving is irreplaceable. By supporting philanthropic goals, we can have a significant impact on the lives of those who have the most difficulty, and support sometimes includes going to a concert,” said Karla Pudar, head of the Solidarna Foundation’s philanthropy development program. If you missed the first benefit concert of the Women’s Fund, don’t worry, but preparations for the new edition are underway, we will let you know everything in time, and until then you can support the work of the Fund by donating here.
The fact that the Women’s Fund is working at full speed is also shown by the results of the projects of civil society organizations that we supported through program grants for CSOs as part of the Women’s Fund. Thus, the Sofia Association for the Empowerment, Protection, and Promotion of Human Rights presented the results of the conducted research on the availability and use of contraception in the Republic of Croatia in 2024. Although contraception is generally accepted and widely used, the results showed that there are still barriers and challenges in the use of contraceptive methods, read more details here.
We also supported the implementation of research by the Poreč Center for Civic Initiatives in cooperation with Dr. sc. Marina Štambuk on the experience of sexist media content and reporting on gender-based violence among women who have experienced gender-based violence, and you can read the results here.
The Domine Association conducted a pilot study on the functioning of the so-called women’s counseling centers, types of services and their actual costs, in order to contribute to the development of standards and quality of support for women who have survived violence. The research results are a good indicator of how to proceed, where the holes are, and how to investigate the complete system.
The Autonomous Women’s House Zagreb, as part of the program support of the Women’s Fund, conducted research on coercive control as a significant form of gender-based violence against women, especially in the context of violence in intimate partner relationships. This research aimed to deepen knowledge about coercive control and to examine its occurrence in the Croatian context with special emphasis on post-separation forms of violence. In addition, the obtained results should serve as a basis for the development of evidence-based policy, to influence the improvement and creation of a legislative framework that will include adequate sanctioning of coercive control by an abusive partner. The survey is available here.
For civil society organizations in Croatia, the summer period is not a “season of pickles”, because here you can still find tenders to apply for projects! As part of the Impact4Values program, which we implement with the Slagalica Foundation and the Slovenian organization CNVOS, the Public Call for Action for the Defense of European Values is still open. The purpose of the call is to support organizations in urgent advocacy, legal, communication and other actions, such as media appearances, protests, collecting signatures, preparing amendments and similar activities. Actions are designed in response to various challenges, including the protection of EU values and fundamental rights and pressure on decision-makers regarding the work of CSOs. More detailed information about the call is available here, and you can see examples of successful projects by collaborators from Slovenia here and here.
On the Kulturpunkt portal, you can read an interview with Maja Ogrizović, initiator of the Film for Everyone and Culture for Everyone projects and a member of the Filmaktiv association. In a conversation with journalist Maja, she talks about the inclusive projects she implements as part of the Filmaktiv association and the initiatives that make existing cultural programs accessible to everyone. Through the Impact4Values program, the SOLIDARNA Foundation supported the continuation of the excellent project Culture for All, which capacitates and empowers young people to understand inclusive cultural practices, detect the need for inclusion and inclusion itself.
And for the end, some more good news.
As you know, the Desa & Jerko Baković Fund of the SOLIDARNA Foundation provides multi-year scholarships for the education of children and young people from a weaker financial situation so that they can continue their education and realize their full potential. These days, our hearts were filled with the news that the former scholarship recipient of the fund, Severina Lajtman, enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb.
“I would like one day not to hear ‘wow’ because Roma children enrolled in high school and later university. So that one day my name doesn’t stand next to Severina Roma. It’s still not the case and that’s why I’m doing all this,” Severina pointed out in one of his media appearances last year.
Unfortunately, the social environment is still such that all our children do not have equal opportunities, and Severina Lajtman is still a minority among Roma girls who have entered university, and she is the first Roma woman to enter the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. The scholarship from the Desa & Jerko Baković Foundation covered Severina’s school fees at the Private Art High School, providing her with motivation and security to continue. Enrolling in acting studies in Zagreb has been her dream since childhood – and she succeeded! Our hearts are filled with joy because her childhood dream has come true! You can find more about our Desa & Jerko Baković Fund and how to support it here.
We hope that you enjoyed this summer report and that it will bring you motivation for further support in the common mission of building a more solidary society.
Cover ilustration: Erica Borgato/Fine Acts
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