Their role in society and their communities as well as families is still unrecognised and marginalised, and their everyday work is often underestimated and unacknowledged, the HPK said in a press release.
The status of rural women is not recognised either and they are constantly fighting for their rights, although they care for the family, safeguard tradition and the environment, work in agriculture and participate in food production.
Rural women in Croatia own only 30% of family farms and spend at least 22 hours a week working an invisible job. They have much smaller farms, live longer and most often become owners after inheriting the family farms from their husbands.
Research shows that women in rural areas are disadvantaged economically and socially due to social roles and rural community expectations based on gender roles and patriarchal views, the result being that women who work outside the home are seen as neglecting their families and households.
Rural women also face many obstacles such as limited access to land, assets and financial resources, and lack of access to information, training, mentoring and professional networks.
Although it has been shown that rural women are creative and ready for innovations, new projects and association, the heads of public enterprise funds still think it is less profitable to invest or financially support women than men, the HPK said.