The ninth 151-member Croatian Parliament was inaugurated on 14 October following the September 11 snap election in which a mere 19 women candidates ensured seats, which was a record low in the last 15 years.
Some of the elected members of parliament joined the new government, and have been replaced by female colleagues from their respective parties. As a result, the ratio of male to female MPs in the Sabor is now 121 to 30, which means that a share of women lawmakers stands at 25 % (a quarter).
This is within the average of unicameral parliaments in Europe.
According to data provided by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women's participation in parliaments in unicameral assemblies or in lower houses worldwide is 22.9%, and Europe's average for unicameral assemblies stands at 25.8%.
Nordic countries boast of the highest portion of women among lawmakers, 41.1%.
When it comes to Croatia, parliamentary elections in 2000 resulted in the highest number of women winning seats in the parliament, 34, and in the subsequent elections, 26 women gained seats in the national parliament, and their number increased to 33 by the end of the term of that legislature.
As many as 32 women won parliamentary seats in the 2007 election, and their number in the legislature rose to 39 by the end of the term of that parliament.