RESOLUTION ON THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN 2015–2020 RESOLUTION ON THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN 2015–2020 This publication is part of the project Towards Equalizing Power Relations between Women and Men, that is co-financed by the Kingdom of Norway within the Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programme 2009-2014 for Slovenia. Through the Norway Grants and EEA Grants, Norway contributes to reducing social and eco- nomic disparities and to strengthening bilateral relationships with beneficiary countries in Eu- rope. Norway cooperates closely with the European Union through the Agreement on the Euro- pean Economic Area (EEA). For the period 2009-14, Norway’s contribution is €1.7 billion. Grants are available for non-go- vernmental organisations, research and academic institutions, and the public and private sec- tors in twelve newest EU member States, Greece, Portugal and Spain. There is broad coopera- tion with Norwegian entities, and activities may be implemented until 2016. Key areas of support are environmental protection and climate change, research and scholar- ships, civil society, health and children, gender equality, justice and cultural heritage. More information on the Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programme 2009-2014 is available at www.norwaygrants.si and www.norwaygrants.org. CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 342.726-055.1/.2(497.4)(0.034.2) 316.346.2(497.4)(0.034.2) RESOLUTION on the national programme for equal opportunities for women and men 2015-2020 [Elektronski vir]. - Elektronska izd. - El. knjiga. - Ljubljana : Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, 2016 ISBN 978-961-6471-41-1 (pdf) 287456000 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.1 The purpose and objectives of the National Programme 2015–2020 . . . . . . . . 7 1.2 Preparation of the National Programme: key recommendations and guidelines. . 8 1.3 Implementation of the National Programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 1.4 The national mechanism for equality between women and men . . . . . . . . . . .10 1.5 Gender mainstreaming in sectoral policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 1.6 Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 2. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN POLICY OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 2.1 EQUAL ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 2.1.1 Situation, trends and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 2.1.2 Objectives and measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 2.2 RECONCILIATION OF WORK, PRIVATE AND FAMILY LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 2.2.1 Situation, trends and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 2.2.2 Objectives and measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 2.3 A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY FREE OF GENDER STEREOTYPES. . . . . . . . . .35 2.3.1 Situation, trends and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 2.3.2 Objectives and measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 2.4 SOCIAL INCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 2.4.1 Situation, trends and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 2.4.2 Objectives and measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 2.5 WOMEN’S AND MEN’S HEALTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 2.5.1 Situation, trends and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 2.5.2 Objectives and measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 2.6 THE BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN DECISION- MAKING POSITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 2.6.1 Situation, trends and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 2.6.2 Objectives and measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 2.7 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 2.7.1 Situation, trends and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 2.7.2 Objectives and measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 2.8 GENDER EQUALITY IN FOREIGN POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 2.8.1 Situation, trends and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 2.8.2 Objectives and measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 3. INDICATORS OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND MEN . . . . . . . . . 75 Table of Contents 4 ABBREVIATED NAMES EU European Union MDDSZ Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities MZZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs MIZŠ Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport MNZ Ministry of the Interior MNZ-P Ministry of the Interior – The Police MO Ministry of Defence MGRT Ministry of Economic Development and Technology MNZ Ministry of the Interior SURS Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia MI Ministry of Infrastructure MZ Ministry of Health MP Ministry of Justice MK Ministry of Culture MJU Ministry of Public Administration MKGP Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food NIJZ National Institute of Public Health APZ Active employment policy OKS Olympic Committee of Slovenia ZZZS Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia 5 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 1. INTRODUCTION The Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men is a strategic document of the Government defining the objectives, measures and key policy mak- ers in the area of gender equality in the particular spheres of life of women and men in the Republic of Slovenia for the period 2015–2020. This is the second document of this kind in the Republic of Slovenia. The first Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, adopted by the Gov- ernment of the Republic of Slovenia in 2005, covered the 2005–2013 period and for the first time comprehensively defined the equal opportunities policy in six priority areas: gender mainstreaming, work, the knowledge-based society, social prosperity, gender relations and decision-making processes. The general and specific objectives of each area and particular measures to achieve the specific objectives were identified and provided the bases for detailed implementing documents and periodic plans. Four periodic plans were compiled (2006 – 2007, 2008 – 2009, 2010 – 2011 and 2012 – 2013). The reports on the implementation of individual periodic plans were discussed by the National Assembly. Similar to the previous National Programme, the new Programme defines general priority ar- eas for improving the status of women and men and/or ensuring sustainable gender equality in the Republic of Slovenia and identifies key challenges and issues for the 2015–2020 period. It builds on the experience under the previous document and upgrades such by the findings of the Evaluation of the Implementation of the Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (2005–2013) on how the implementation of measures and activities contributed to attainment of objectives defined in the 2005–2013 National Pro- gramme and on the outcomes and effects of those processes. The new National Programme focuses on eight priority areas: equal economic independence, reconciliation of work, private and family life, ensuring a knowledge-based society without gender stereotypes, social inclusion, health, balanced representation of women and men, violence against women, and gender equality in foreign policy and international development cooperation. It presents the basic activities and statistical trends recorded during the previous National Programme and specifies the objectives and measures aimed at overcoming the key challenges in these areas. The objectives and measures in two priority areas, i.e. violence against women and the knowl- edge-based society, have already been envisaged and defined in detail in the following specific strategic and implementing documents: the Resolution on the National Programme for the Prevention of Family Violence and the Action Plan for the Prevention of Family Violence, the Action Plan of the Interministerial Working Group for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the Action Plan for Improving Career Prospects for Researchers throughout their Careers and Ensuring the Principle of Equal Opportunities (based on the Resolution on the Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia 2011–2020). In order to avoid unnecessary duplication, the area of violence against women is only covered by the general objective of reducing the incidence of violence against women, which includes measures aimed at improving awareness and the provision of information about all forms of violence against women; as regards the area of science, we have placed particular emphasis on increasing female participation in sci- ence and improving their status therein. Introduction 6 The Resolution on the National Youth Programme for 2013–2020 includes measures to ensure equal gender opportunities and prevent discrimination, in particular the measures to facilitate reconciliation of work, private and family life of young people, to eliminate discrimination due to parenthood and reasons connected with maternity, and to promote the political participation of young people supporting balanced gender representation; therefore, these specific mea- sures are not covered by the National Programme. 1.1 The purpose and objectives of the National Programme 2015–2020 The purpose of the National Programme is to define the key area-specific objectives and mea- sures of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia aimed at achieving gender equality in the Republic of Slovenia in the 2015–2020 period. Despite the progress made in certain areas and at the legislative level, as shown in the reports on the implementation and the evaluation of the National Programme 2005–2013, equality between women and men has failed to be fully applied in practice. Gender gaps persist in many areas of life. The Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015– 2020 includes objectives and measures primarily aimed at reducing gender inequality in indi- vidual areas. The objectives are determined on the basis of analyses of the status of women and men in particular areas and on the identification of the key issues to be addressed. As the National Programmes and Action Plans adopted for some of the relevant areas define objec- tives and measures also applicable to gender equality, they are not included in this National Programme in order to avoid unnecessary repetition. In such cases, only key guidelines are listed and general objectives defined, while the implementation of the measures is left to sec- toral national programmes and action plans. It will be necessary in this context to strengthen the gender perspective in the areas and/or National Programmes and Action Plans that do not devote enough attention to this issue. Equality between women and men is the general objective of the National Programme and also an important social objective, as well as a prerequisite for a fair and just society. Gender equality entails the equal visibility, equal power and equal participation of women and men in all spheres of public and private life. It means that women and men have equal opportunities to realise their potentials, to contribute to the national, political, economic, social and cultural development and to benefit equally from the results thereof. Gender equality is a social con- cept most easily explained as a situation in which sex has no influence on access to rights, opportunities and participation in the results of social development. Equality between women and men is one of the basic human rights and a principle underlying democratic societies. The principle of equality before the law is set out in the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia ( Uradni list RS), No. 33/91) as the first principle of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Constitution stipulates that everyone in the Republic of Slovenia is guaranteed equal human rights and fundamental freedoms irrespective of national origin, race, sex, language, religion, political or other convic- tion, material standing, birth, education, social status, or any other personal circumstance. The principle of equality and the method of its implementation have also been enshrined in numerous documents and declarations of the United Nations and the Council of Europe bind- ing on the Republic of Slovenia. Furthermore, equality between women and men is one of the fundamental principles of European Union law aimed at ensuring equal opportunities and equal treatment of women and men and combating all forms of gender-based discrimination. 7 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 The National Programme is a strategic document and as such primarily focused on promoting equality between women and men, taking into account the fact that women and men form heterogeneous groups and that some people are positioned beyond the binary sex model due to their gender identity or sexual expression. Therefore, an intersectional approach is required to comprehensively address the issue of social inequality. The National Programme defines key objectives focused on the following: – eliminating gender imbalances and gender segregation in employment and tackling unem- ployment; – improving the situation of women and men regarding social inclusion; – eliminating obstacles to the reconciliation of work, private and family life; – eliminating the gender gap and gender segregation in education; – eliminating inequalities in science and higher education; – eliminating stereotypes in society, particularly in the media, culture and sport; – improving the health of women and men; – eliminating the obstacles to balanced representation of women and men in various areas of political and social life; – zero-tolerance of violence against women; – strengthening gender mainstreaming in the Slovenian developmental, peace and other for- eign policy initiatives. The objectives and measures defined in the National Programme provide guidelines to the ministries and other governmental authorities for planning and implementing their respective policies and programmes as regards gender equality and the realisation thereof. Particular measures to achieve the objectives will be presented and detailed in the periodic plans drafted for two-year periods. In order to achieve the objectives and ensure gender equality in practice, two basic and com- plementary approaches will be used: 1. specific measures; and 2. gender mainstreaming. Specific measures will be introduced and implemented in the areas where the unbalanced representation or unequal status of women and men are noted; they will focus on a disadvan- taged gender group provided that such specific measure is justified and proportionate to its purpose. In addition to being a strategy that has integrated gender equality into everyday policies, gender mainstreaming is also an internationally binding principle; this means that the specific status of women and/or men is taken into account in drafting and planning, decision-making, implementing and evaluating policy orientations and measures. Gender mainstreaming allows all planned policies, measures, laws or programmes to be assessed in terms of their impact on women and men in all areas and at all levels. Policies and programmes in the political, eco- nomic and social spheres are developed, implemented and assessed so as to equally benefit women and men and with a view to eliminating gender inequality. 1.2 Preparation of the National Programme: key recommendations and guidelines The National Programme is based on an analysis of the situation, an assessment of progress in achieving gender equality in the Republic of Slovenia, and an Evaluation of the Implementa- Introduction 8 tion of the Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2005–2013, which was drawn up by an expert group (Kanjuo Mrčela, Filipovič Hrast, Humer, 2013). During the implementation of the first National Programme, numerous activities were planned and carried out with a view to improving the status of women and men and achieving gender equality in the areas defined. Based on the reports on the implementation of periodic plans, it can be concluded that progress in overcoming inequalities between women and men has been made in many areas; nonetheless, many of the key issues and challenges still persist and in some areas the situation has even deteriorated. The pace of changes related to some particu- lar objectives pursued was slowed considerably by the financial and economic crisis. Some of analyses of the impact of the austerity measures on the status of women and men in Slovenia underlined that the crisis and austerity measures have a more permanent adverse effect on women, in particular specific groups such as elderly women, women in single-parent fami- lies, middle-class women and women from ethnic minorities (Austerity Measures and Gender Equality, Humer, Roksandić, 2013). The final report and the evaluation of the National Programme 2005–2013 highlighted some significant shifts made during the implementation of the first National Programme: the vis- ibility of and sensitivity to gender equality issues in society increased, a great deal of research work was done, some legislative changes were made, new practices were introduced in some areas, and steps towards greater gender equality were made. At the same time, certain short- comings were established that needed to be addressed to minimise the risk of failing to put the objectives and measures defined into practice. In the preparation of the new National Programme, the key conceptual and substantive com- ments and guidelines provided in the evaluation of the National Program 2005–2013 were taken into account as far as possible. In the context of the need for greater clarity, the con- cretisation of objectives, and the suitability of measures and indicators, an observation sug- gesting anchoring gender mainstreaming in the document in a different manner was taken into account. Rather than being treated as a separate area, gender mainstreaming is now incorporated into individual areas. The new National Programme includes fewer but more con- crete objectives and omits the duplication of objectives (strategic and specific objectives) that does not contribute to their more efficient implementation. The measures are less generic and more specific. Rather than being focused on measuring the implementation of the measures, the indicators measure changes in equality between women and men and the effectiveness of the objectives; they are fewer in number, more precisely defined and more clearly related to the measures concerned. The evaluation of the National Programme 2005–2013 put forward some proposals regarding the focus of the new National Programme, which now includes a stronger intersectional di- mension as intersectional analyses of social inequality factors (the status of women and men considered with other personal circumstances such as age, disability, nationality, religious af- filiation, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.) are envisaged. Based on the status assess- ments and available data, greater emphasis in certain areas is devoted to disadvantaged and/ or excluded groups, such as women from ethnic minorities, women from rural areas, women with lower socio-economic status, homosexual men, etc. In the context of specific measures in individual areas, these groups must be treated with particular sensitivity and attention. As the area of gender equality requires a horizontal, interdisciplinary approach, various stake- holders were included in the drafting of the National Programme: individual ministries and governmental authorities engaged in the areas addressed by the National Programme, non- 9 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 governmental organisations active in particular areas or dealing with comprehensive gender equality issues, experts in the area of gender equality, etc. The National Programme is based on the experience gained from the first document; various stakeholders engaged in relevant areas of gender equality participated in its drafting. They presented their proposals and ideas at the conference Gender Equality Pays Off! organised by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities on 15 January 2014 at Brdo pri Kranju. The debate within the international conference Women 20 Years after Beijing (13 and 14 November 2014) contribut- ed significantly towards the formation of objectives and the proposal of measures; the themes and content of individual areas of the National Programme were discussed and conclusions and decisions adopted; the conference was attended by representatives of the non-governmental sector, the research sphere, professional associations, ministries, local communities, etc. In line with the recommendations in the report on the evaluation of the previous National Programme, the new Programme was drafted in cooperation with the responsible ministries and agencies and submitted for harmonisation and amendment to certain relevant non-gov- ernmental organisations, social partners and professionals. The draft National Programme was discussed by the Expert Council for Gender Equality, an advisory body to the MDDSZ. The direct legal basis for drawing up and implementing the National Programme is provided in the Equal Opportunities for Women and Men Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [ Uradni list Republike Slovenije], No. 59/2002). International cooperation plays a very impor- tant role in the development of Slovenia’s gender equality policy. The exchange of information and experience between countries strengthens national efforts in this area. The European Union gender equality policy addressed in numerous specific and general documents was taken into account, including the recommendations and objectives of the Europe 2020 Strat- egy. In formulating the national gender equality policy and the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020, the recommendations of international bodies for gender equality were also followed, in particular the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the objectives defined in the Platform for Action adopted at the Beijing conference. 1.3 Implementation of the National Programme The National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men defines broad strategic objectives and measures aimed at achieving gender equality for the 2015–2020 period. With a view to avoiding that the objectives and measures turn into unrealised programme guidelines, the Equal Opportunities for Women and Men Act requires that two-year plans be adopted for the implementation of the National Programme. Three periodic plans or implementing documents will be drawn up in the 2015–2020 period to define individual tasks and activities for the implementation of objectives and measures in particular areas. The respective periodic plans will be drafted by the MDDSZ on the basis of reports on the previous two-year period and any additional proposals of the ministries and governmental authorities; they will be submitted to the Government of the Republic of Slove- nia for adoption. 1.4 The national mechanism for equality between women and men A national mechanism for equality between women and men is essential to ensure efficient drafting and implementation of the gender equality policy; the mechanism must have suffi- Introduction 10 cient staff and funding available and must be appropriately integrated into the organisational structure of the Government. Until 2012, tasks in this area were carried out by the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Equal Opportunities, which operated as a relatively independent specialised service of the Government. With the reorganisation of the Govern- ment, these tasks were transferred to Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, i.e. to its Equal Opportunities and European Coordination Service. In 2013, the Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and the tasks related to gender equality were assumed by the Equal Opportunities Division. In 2014, the Minister es- tablished the Expert Council for Gender Equality to act as an advisory body to the Minister. It is composed of experts from academic institutions and non-governmental organisations working in the area of gender equality and human rights. The evaluation of the previous National Programme highlighted the fact that a national govern- mental gender equality body is a key element in promoting the policies, coordinating the work and implementing the planned measures in relevant areas. Based on an analysis of documents, the results of an online survey and expert interviews, it also concluded that rather than having positive consequences, the closure of the Office for Equal Opportunities and the transfer of its tasks to the MDDSZ resulted in negative consequences; therefore, the evaluation suggested that a different institutional arrangement of the authority responsible for coordinating policies in the area of gender equality be considered. The current inclusion of gender equality in the MDDSZ supposedly implies that the area is only associated with this Ministry’s sphere of work and does not promote gender mainstreaming. Gender equality would be best ensured by hav- ing a financially and organisationally independent institution as the main agent in this area. In order to ensure greater autonomy and more efficient functioning of the national mechanism for gender equality, the competent authority should be strengthened and given a position of influence in the government’s hierarchy and/or its organisational structure. In addition to dis- tinct authority in sectoral policies and professional autonomy, this body should also have clearly defined political responsibility and power to ensure that the principle of gender equality is fol- lowed by all ministries and state institutions. It should have an appropriate budget available for efficient implementation of the gender equality policy. In this context, unambiguous support for the functioning of non-governmental organisations engaged in the area of gender equality, and their networking and participation in shaping relevant policies should also be demonstrated. 1.5 Gender mainstreaming in sectoral policies The gender equality policy is a horizontal policy covering all areas and/or policies under the competence of individual ministries and government offices. In past years, progress on gender mainstreaming in sectoral policies was made, in particularly regarding training and the devel- opment of tools, but the aspect of gender is still rarely part of the overall process of formu- lating, implementing and evaluating policies. Indeed, gender equality and non-discrimination are included in some sector-specific Acts and the gender perspective is addressed in certain government strategic documents, such as national programmes, action plans, etc. Given the fact that the documents that include the gender perspective are still few in number, efforts to ensure gender mainstreaming in all policies should be strengthened. The gender perspective must be incorporated into all policy formulation, implementation and evaluation processes. Ministries have coordinators for ensuring equal opportunities for women and men who coor- dinate and implement their respective tasks in the area of equal opportunities for women and men. Given the fact that the gender perspective is still not sufficiently integrated into sectoral policies, in the future their role should be strengthened and their tasks entrusted to persons 11 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 of sufficient power and influence, i.e. responsibility for the implementation of tasks should be transferred to those in a position to influence political decision-making. In order to carry out the tasks more effectively, stronger support by the Government and ministers is required, the tasks and competencies must be defined clearly and access to information and processes im- portant for gender equality promotion must be ensured. It is also necessary to draw up guide- lines to clearly define their duties, their position within the ministry, and their responsibilities. Sectoral strategic documents define the objectives and measures in the areas that are central to achieving progress in gender equality. It is therefore necessary to consider the status and role of women and men in designing policies in these areas and to formulate objectives and measures contributing towards reducing inequalities between women and men, thereby pro- moting gender equality. They may be classified into several groups according to the degree of gender equality integration. The first group includes national programmes and action plans with the gender perspective strongly integrated into the process of setting objectives and their implementation through the measures and other activities in the relevant areas. The second group consists of national programmes and action plans that define objectives and measures vital to gender equality in individual areas but which do not sufficiently integrate the gender perspective. Some of them appropriately include gender equality among the objectives, but fail to define specific measures taking explicit account of the needs and status of particular target groups broken down by sex; some mention gender equality as a principle or aspect to be taken into account, but fail to consider it in the presentation of the current situation or in defining objectives and measures. The third group includes those completely gender-blind, i.e. those that do not even mention gender. Regardless of the group into which the documents may be classified, they will have to be further strengthened as regards the gender perspective in the planning and implementation stages. The ministries should ensure that these documents show data broken down by sex to allow an assessment of whether significant gender differences exist in a particular area. On this basis, measures to eliminate inequalities and to promote gender equality should be developed. Nu- merous examples of foreign good practice show that measures that incorporate the gender per- spective as early as the planning stage are more target-oriented and therefore more efficient. Such good practice examples may be found in various areas from transport policies to energy, which is particularly highlighted in the EU documents related to the Europe 2020 strategy. Indeed, a more comprehensive analysis of gender perspective integration in strategic docu- ments in individual areas is required, not only to assess the objectives and measures, but also to include gender-sensitive statistics, budgeting, etc., and should be identified as one of the tasks of coordinators of equal opportunities for women and men. The key documents relevant from the gender perspective are presented below. A brief indica- tion of whether and how the gender perspective is included and the objectives and measures to which it refers are listed for each document. • Action Plan for the Implementation of UN SC Resolutions No. 1325 and 1820 on Women, Peace and Security The Action Plan outlines detailed measures to strengthen the role of women in the preven- tion and resolution of armed conflicts and in building and maintaining peace. It also identifies measures to prevent sexual violence against women and girls and their protection during and after armed conflicts. It is aimed at linking the current activities in Slovenia and in the inter- national community addressing the wider issue of women, peace and security, which have been reshaped into specific and realistic political commitments with measureable goals. The Action Plan classifies the aforementioned measures into three main objectives and defines the Introduction 12 political, operative and human resource commitments of the Slovenian Government for the implementation thereof. It also lists international and national commitments, the competences of particular ministries and ways of evaluating the achievement of objectives. • Framework Programme of International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance of the Republic of Slovenia for the Period 2013–2015 (implementing act of the Resolution on International Development Cooperation by 2015) The Framework Programme places the empowerment of women and care for the well-being of children among the three thematic priority areas of development cooperation. The Frame- work Programme is a concrete implementing document under the Resolution on International Development Cooperation until 2015 and defines support for equal opportunities as one of the horizontal forms of assistance. • Resolution on the National Programme on the Prevention of Family Violence and the Action Plan for the Prevention of Family Violence The National Programme on the Prevention of Family Violence is a strategic document that stipulates the objectives and the key policy operators for the prevention and reduction of fami- ly violence in the Republic of Slovenia for the period 2009 to 2014. The fundamental objectives of this document are to connect measures in various sectors and to ensure efficient activities to reduce family violence at the level of identification and prevention. The particular tasks and activities needed to achieve the objectives and implement particular measures are defined in the Action Plans for the Prevention of Family Violence 2012–2013. The document focuses on the fact that family violence results from the uneven distribution of power between the sexes and considers the special needs of victims, predominantly women, and their personal circum- stances. One of the key objectives is to change the social and cultural behavioural patterns of both genders to eliminate prejudice, habits and other practices that are based on the idea of the superiority or subordination of genders and the stereotypical roles of men and women. A new resolution, which will also include other forms of violence against women, is being drafted. • Action Plan of the Interministerial Working Group for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual abuse and exploitation is most commonly and distinctly seen as trafficking in women and children, as particularly vulnerable groups. The Action Plan for the 2012–2013 period is designed as a continuation of good practices, espe- cially of those projects that have proven effective and require continuity. It further details the activities, primarily in the field of prevention and international and regional cooperation. • Resolution on the Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia 2011–2020 The Resolution on the Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia 2011–2020 addresses gender equality in the chapter on strengthening human resources and also in connection with the objective to promote human resources development. It notes the necessity to reduce vertical segregation and points out that the support of decision-making bodies is required to adopt legislative amendments and measures aimed at gender equality and to focus attention on the role of gender in research, education and management. Appropriate information about the importance of gender equality is a precondition for gaining their support; therefore, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport will support promotional activities and follow the principle of balanced gender representation in appointing the working bodies of the Ministry and in drafting legal acts and other strategic documents. The areas and activities to improve career opportunities for researchers at all career stages and to ensure the principle of equal opportunities for women and men will be defined in the relevant Action Plan. • Resolution on the National Programme for Youth 2013–2020 13 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 The Resolution on the National Programme for Youth 2013–2020 defines the principles, key policies and general guidelines for the implementation and formulation of youth policies and pays particular attention to ensuring equal gender opportunities and preventing discrimina- tion. It includes data consistently broken down by sex, considers the specific status of young women in the overview of the situation, and identifies the objectives explicitly promoting gender equality and concrete measures for their implementation. The primary focus of the National Programme is on measures to facilitate reconciliation of work, private and family life, to eliminate discrimination due to parenthood or reasons connected with maternity, and to promote the political participation of young people in support of balanced gender representa- tion. • Resolution on the National Mental Health Programme 2011–2016 (draft) The Resolution on the National Mental Health Programme 2011–2016 is the first strategic document covering the area of mental health in the Republic of Slovenia; its purpose is to preserve and improve the health of the whole population, while placing special emphasis on support for vulnerable groups; its final objective is to improve the quality of life of Slovenians. One of the basic principles of the National Programme is positive discrimination for vulnerable groups, i.e. the social groups more likely to experience mental disorders and suicidal behav- iour. Special attention is devoted to three basic population groups: children and young people, the active working population and the elderly. The gender perspective is included in the defi- nition of vulnerable groups or groups at increased risk of experiencing mental disorders and suicidal behaviour (e.g. women in the postpartum period, middle-aged men). • Strategy for the Prevention and Control of HIV Infections for the Period 2010–2015 The Strategy for the Prevention and Control of HIV Infections for the Period 2010–2015 repre- sents a continuation and upgrade of previous activities to prevent and control HIV/AIDS infec- tions. It is based on the following three pillars: the prevention of HIV infections, early detection of infections, the prevention of their transmission, the provision of appropriate treatment, and the reduction of individual and social impacts of HIV infection. The prevention of infections and preventive actions are the Strategy’s key policies. The reduction of stigmatisation and dis- crimination against infected persons and vulnerable groups and full respect for human rights remain the objectives of the next period; target groups are listed by gender; specific measures take into account the status and needs of these groups with a view to de-stigmatising them and preventing discrimination; the indicators are broken down by sex. • Resolution on the National Social Assistance Programme 2013–2020 The National Social Assistance Programme 2013–2020 addresses the development of the social assistance system in the mentioned period. To this end, it defines the basic premises for the development of the system and the objectives and strategies of the development of social assistance, determines the network of public social assistance services and programmes, and lays down the manner of their implementation and monitoring and the responsibilities of in- dividual actors at different levels. The guidelines to be followed in the provision of services and programmes also include gender equality, which is defined as consideration of the gender equality aspect and the specific needs of women and men. One of the three key objectives is to reduce the risk of poverty and increase the social inclusion of socially disadvantaged and vulnerable groups; there are several sub-objectives listed within this main objective, namely to develop new (innovative) measures aimed at reducing poverty and increasing the social inclusion of groups and vulnerable groups (children, the elderly, single-parent families, elderly single women, etc.), and to monitor the effects of different measures on these groups. Introduction 14 • Plan for the Implementation of Active Employment Policy Measures for 2013 and 2014 (implementing document drawn up on the basis of the Guidelines for the Implementation of Active Employment Policy Measures) The AEP guidelines are a strategic document of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for the current planning period; they were adopted following consultations with the social partners and were based on the programme of national development priorities and investments and other strategic documents of the Republic of Slovenia. The guidelines define the purpose and objectives of the AEP measures, the indicative scope and fund sources by individual measure, indicators for the monitoring and evaluation of the efficiency of AEP measures, and the objec- tives defined in the strategic documents of the Republic of Slovenia and the EU that must be achieved through the implementation of AEP measures. • Action Programme for Persons with Disabilities 2014–2021 The purpose of this programme is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal exercise of all human rights of persons with disabilities, and to foster respect for their inherent dig- nity. The Programme comprises thirteen key objectives comprehensively covering all aspects of disabled persons’ lives. The key objectives include raising awareness and the provision of information, accommodation and integration, accessibility, education, work and employment, financial and social security, health and the provision of medical care, cultural engagement, sports and leisure activities, spiritual and religious life, the self-organisation of persons with disabilities, violence, discrimination and ageing with a disability. With regard to raising aware- ness and providing information, the Programme places particular emphasis on the activities to combat gender-related stereotypes; in relation to health and the provision of medical care, it mentions the increased accessibility of health-care programmes and services irrespective of gender; in connection to violence and discrimination, the Programme specifies that particular attention should be drawn to children, women and the elderly with disabilities, as they are particularly vulnerable groups. It also includes some measures that consider the gender and intersectional perspectives. • Resolution on the National Programme for Culture 2014–2017 The Resolution on the National Programme for Culture is a strategic document that lays down the cultural policy development plan and defines objectives and measures to stimulate the de- velopment potential in all areas of cultural production and establish culture as one of the key factors in the development of an individual and the society. The National Programme devotes no special attention to the issues of gender equality and/or does not directly link them with the resolution’s objectives. • Resolution on the National Housing Programme 2013–2022 The Resolution on the National Housing Programme 2013–2022 is a basic document that identifies general objectives in the area of housing supply and its development. These objec- tives are: a balanced supply of appropriate dwellings in the housing market, easier access to housing for all, the provision of quality and functional dwellings, and the promotion of greater housing mobility. The provision of easier access to housing for vulnerable groups focuses on persons seeking their first dwelling, single-parent families, large families, single-person households regarding those aged over 65, people with special needs (the physically impaired) and people in social distress (the homeless, victims of violence, ethnic minorities, migrants, refugees, former convicts, people with chronic mental health conditions). Target groups to be given special attention do not include separate gender categories (regarding the specific needs of women and men), but the gender perspective is indirectly considered in the definition of 15 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 vulnerable groups (e.g. single-parent families, single-person households regarding those aged over 65). • Resolution on the National Programme for Higher Education 2011–2020 The Resolution on the National Programme for Higher Education is a strategic document that defines measures for the further development of higher education. The basic objectives to be achieved in higher education in Slovenia by 2020 are to ensure quality and excellence, diversity and accessibility through the supporting instruments of internationalisation and di- versification, the study structure and higher education funding. The measures for achieving these objective make no explicit mention of gender, there are no particular measures aimed at women or men. One of the key goals of the Resolution is to encourage greater inclusion of underrepresented groups and to establish equal opportunities, in particular in tertiary educa- tion; an analysis of the student structure is envisaged to determine the representation of indi- vidual groups and to identify underrepresented groups in higher education. Based thereupon, incentives for additional support for the inclusion of these groups in higher education are to be formulated. • Resolution on the National Programme of Sport of the Republic of Slovenia 2014–2023 The mission of the National Programme of Sport 2014–2023 is to co-create conditions for the development of sport as an important factor in the development of individuals and the society and to contribute towards reducing inequalities in accessibility to sport and exercise. It defines the public interest that is promoted by the organisations carrying out sport activities in Slove- nia, the concrete objectives related to increasing the share of adult citizens actively engaged in sports, and the measures to achieve them. It does not integrate the gender equality principle into its policies; mention is only made of the important role of women as mothers and their influence on the leisure activity of families and efforts to increase the presence of women in sport-related recreation; there are no specific objectives and measures to directly address the status of women and/or gender mainstreaming. Groups afforded special attention are children and youth, people with disabilities and senior citizens. • Resolution on the National Programme of Measures for the Roma for the Period 2010–2015 The National Programme of Measures for the Roma defines measures to improve the situa- tion of the Roma and provides for effective implementation of Roma community rights. The fundamental objectives include the improvement of the educational structure of the Roma, an increase in employment and a decrease in unemployment, the improvement of living condi- tions and health care, the preservation and development of different variations of the Roma language, culture, informational and publishing activities, the integration of the Roma into so- cial and political life, and raising the awareness of both the majority and minority populations as to the existence of discrimination and the struggle against it. Some gender mainstreaming can be seen in the measures of the active employment policy and in this context in the new approaches to gender equality promotion, the promotion and protection of the health of the Roma people and in the creation of conditions for the training and employment of the Roma in the cultural sphere. • Rural Development Programme 2014–2020 (draft) The Rural Development Programme is a joint programme document of individual EU Member States and of the European Commission that represents the basis for the absorption of funds from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. It covers the national priorities that a particular Member State defines on the basis of analysis of the conditions and situa- tion of its agriculture, food industry, and forestry and of the integration of these branches in Introduction 16 the development of rural areas and the country as a whole. It defines no special measures to promote gender equality, but stresses certain measures aimed at women and men, e.g. “encouraging innovation among young male and female heads of agricultural holdings.” It includes some data broken down by gender, e.g. the share of women heading or manag- ing family farms, but the majority of the data presented are gender-blind. In reference to its implementation, the document cites a monitoring committee for the Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020 composed of representatives of bodies and organisations responsible for environmental protection and gender equality; the Programme also specifies that informa- tion will be provided to the authorities engaged in the promotion of gender equality. In addition to the aforementioned documents, the fundamental strategic documents, such as Slovenia’s Development Strategy 2014–2020, the Operational Programme for the Implemen- tation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the period 2014–2020 and the Programme of Development Priorities and Investments, are of particular significance for the implementation of gender equality in practice. They provide the basis for the formulation of sectoral policies; therefore, gender mainstreaming will have to be made a more important part of their drafting and imple- mentation. • Slovenia’s Development Strategy 2014–2020 (draft) Slovenia started to draft a new strategic document, i.e. long-term development strategies for Slovenia. The new document is one of the priorities of the Government of the Republic of Slo- venia; it will provide a comprehensive and clear long-term development vision and is intended to outline Slovenia’s development path for the next decades. In addition to the sustainable development objectives focused on the implementation of sustainable economic development policies, the elimination of poverty and the improved quality of life of Slovenia’s inhabitants, the strategy will also incorporate the equal opportunities perspective. The process of its draft- ing will be inclusive and transparent as the strategy will be a long-term document that requires the greatest possible social consensus. It is expected to be drawn up in 2016. • Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the Period 2014–2020 The document defines the priority axes for defined priority areas in which Slovenia will invest European Cohesion Policy funds for the 2014–2020 period to achieve national targets in the framework of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The Operational Programme will ensure gender equality through a horizontal approach to gender mainstreaming and a vertical approach to measures and priority axes. In line with the cohesion policy objectives of promoting gender equality at all levels of implementation, monitoring and assessment, horizontal gender mainstreaming is to be implemented through the following mechanisms: the provision of training and fund management capacity building to promote gender equality and gender mainstreaming, including gender budgeting; the set- ting up of a support structure/body to provide guidance and support the implementation of the gender equality principle within the operational programme. The support structure will cover the area of equal opportunities and non-discrimination and participate in management and implementation; representatives of the authorities responsible for the promotion of gen- der equality and experts from this area will be members of the monitoring committees with regard to the funds and the operational programme; in addition to statistics broken down by sex, the financial, output and result indicators will take into account the gender perspective to the maximum extent possible; monitoring committees for the funds and the operational programme will have a balanced representation of women and men. 17 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 1.6 Funding Measures to achieve the objectives of the National Programme will be primarily implemented as part of policies in the relevant sectors of society under the competence of individual min- istries, government offices and other stakeholders. The ministries will implement measures primarily through gender mainstreaming in all relevant programmes and activities within their competence. When special activities are required for the implementation of measures in par- ticular areas, the ministries will provide funding from their respective budgets. Funding will be provided by the state budget and EU funds. It is not possible to precisely define the amounts required for the whole period for the imple- mentation of measures in particular areas because such depend on the new programmes and guidelines adopted. Funds for individual measures implemented in a particular period will be defined in the respective periodic two-year plans. Presented hereinafter are programmes with funds committed to individual measures in individual areas; some ministries have already de- fined the scope of funding for certain measures in 2015. The majority of measures addressing equal economic independence will be implemented within the existing active employment policy programmes intended to promote the employment of women, eliminate gender-occupational stereotypes, decrease segregation, etc. The funds will be provided within the new 2014–2020 financial perspective. Funding for the implementation of the measure the Promotion of Female Employment under the AEP is to be provided within the framework of programmes such as Education and Training for Employment, Employment Incentives Offered to Employers for the Creation of New Jobs and the Employment of Persons Who Are Difficult to Employ , and Incentives for the Employment of Young Unemployed Persons; in 2015, EUR 23.5 million was earmarked for these programmes (MDDSZ, BH 4282 − Educa- tion and Training for Employment; BH 3595 − Employment Incentives Offered to Employers for the Creation of New Jobs and the Employment of Persons Who Are Difficult to Employ; BH 3551 − Employment Incentives for Unemployed Person). The Employment Service of Slovenia is to prepare analyses related to stimulating employment; EUR 10,000 will be allocated for this task in 2015 (MDDSZ, BH 4432 − Activities of the Employment Service of Slovenia). The implementation of measures in the area of work and private or family life under the family support programmes, including activities contributing to the promotion of equal opportunities and the elimination of stereotypes, were allocated EUR 300,000 in 2015 (MDDSZ, BH 4071 − Family Support Programmes). The activities for updating family legislation are to be funded from the resources earmarked for the implementation of family legislation. Activities for rais- ing awareness and informing the professional public of family relations will be funded from the resources for measures promoting family policy. The measures in the area of social inclusion will be implemented under ESF Priority Axis 9 – promoting social inclusion and combating poverty projects, within which separate funding will be ensured for empowering target groups to access the labour market. The programmes to promote and protect the health of women and men will be funded within the framework of regular tasks, the ZZZS budget and the Norwegian financial mechanism. The analyses of health and research of views on health and the use of health care services among women and men was allocated EUR 40,000 in 2015 (MZ, BH 7075 – Research Tasks and Stud- ies). Activities related to heath protection and health education programmes were allocated EUR 7,000 in 2015 (MZ, BH 7083 – Health Protection and Health Education Programmes). The activities for the implementation of measures to strengthen the role of women and ensure gender equality within foreign policy initiatives of the Republic of Slovenia, including the en- Introduction 18 hanced role of women in matters of peace and security and the protection of women in conflict situations, will be partly funded from the annual budget of the Directorate for Global Issues and Multilateral Political Relations; the measures to empower women and promote gender equality in the area of international development cooperation will be implemented within the commit- ments of the annual budget of the Directorate for International Development Cooperation. The activities and projects to raise awareness and provide information about violence against women will mainly be funded through the Progress programme, the resources for the imple- mentation of family legislation, and the resources allocated to preventive projects addressing family violence. These activities received EUR 237,946 in 2015 (MDDSZ, BH 140043 – Slove- nia’s Participation in Progress, BH 140044 − Progress EU, BH 7140 – Costs of the Implementa- tion of Family Legislation). The projects of the non-governmental organisations working in the area of equal opportunities for women and men will receive EUR 16,000 in 2015 (MDDSZ, BH 130089 – Non-governmental Women Organisations). In 2015, the activities aimed at promoting balanced gender repre- sentation in the highest leading positions in companies will receive EUR 148,074 (MDDSZ, BH 927210 − Slovenia’s Participation in the Progress, Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination, BH 925810 − Progress EU, Gender Equality and Non-discrimination), and those aimed at bal- ancing power relations between sexes EUR 250,658 (MDDSZ, BH 130091 − the Norwegian Financial Mechanism for Gender Equality, Slovenia’s Participation; BH 130090 − the Norwegian Financial Mechanism for Gender Equality, Norwegian Funds). 19 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 2. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN POLICY OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES 2.1 EQUAL ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE 2.1.1 Situation, trends and challenges Labour market and employment An increase in the employment rate of women and men and a decrease in unemployment and inactivity are essential to progress towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Long- term sustainable economic development is not possible unless women and men are given opportunities to realise their potential and equal economic independence is promoted. In ad- dition to being a prerequisite for enabling women and men to exercise control over their lives and to make genuine choices, economic independence also makes a decisive contribution to reducing the risk of poverty. The differences between women and men noted in employment, unemployment and self-employment rates, payment for equal work or work of equal value, fixed-term employment and horizontal and vertical segregation of the labour market are the indicators of economic inequalities and gender-based discrimination. The EU strategy for growth and jobs “Europe 2020” provides a vision of a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy that delivers high levels of employment, productivity and social cohe- sion. In the context of employment, the objective of the Europe 2020 strategy is a 75% em- ployment rate for the population aged 20–64. Despite the rise in the female employment rate noted in recent years, the average female employment rate in the EU remains considerably lower than the employment rate of men, and certain vulnerable and/or excluded groups of women are still far from achieving the objectives of the European strategy. The employment rate of foreign women in the EU is below 50%, while the unemployment rate of Roma women exceeds that of the general female population by four times (Annual Report of the European Commission on Equality between Women and Men, 2010). In line with the Europe 2020 strategy, Slovenia’s target for 2020 is to increase the activity rate of women and men to 75% of the population aged 20–64 (National Reform Programme 2011–2012). In view of the fact that the female employment rate (63.0%) is lower than the male employment rate (71.2%), greater attention must be devoted to the inclusion of women, in particularly young and elderly women (Eurostat, 2013). Like men, most women in Slovenia are in full-time employment: compared with some other European states, their status largely equals the status of men, gender-based inequalities are smaller as in general women do not interrupt their work careers and stay at home when they have small children; but the share of women working part-time when they have small children has been increasing. Attention should be devoted to the fact that if part-time work is only carried out by women it adversely affects their status in the labour market. Slovenia is one of the EU member states with the highest employment rate of women with children. In general, Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 20 the gender pay gap in Slovenia is not large, but it must not be overlooked that a gender gap exists in certain sectors and industries where pay differences for work of equal value can be 20% or even higher. Notwithstanding these positive indicators, additional incentives for employing and increasing the activity rate of women, in particularly young women with tertiary education, are required in Slovenia, as the greatest gender imbalance is noted in this group; in addition, the share of women in temporary employment exceeds that of men. With a view to creating new jobs, female entrepreneurship must be promoted as the share of new companies set up by women ranks Slovenia at the bottom of European countries (GEM Report – Slovenia 2012). As is the case with other European countries, Slovenia faces problems arising from clear vertical and horizontal labour market segregation, the structural unemployment of certain groups of wom- en, gender-based discrimination and some other obstacles that prevent the equal participation of women and men in the labour market. One of the main obstacles to the equal participation of women in the labour market is the uneven distribution of the workload between women and men as regards caring for children, the elderly and other family members in need of care. Despite the explicit prohibition of any gender-based discrimination laid down in Slovenian labour legislation, practice shows that women more often experience unequal treatment in employment and work due to pre-existing gender stereotype-based expectations and beliefs. Most often women face discrimination due to their potential motherhood. Therefore, constant supervision of the implementation of labour and other legislation and improved awareness of male and female workers as to various forms of discrimination and their rights and procedures are required. Analyses show that women experience sexual and other harassment and bullying at the workplace more often. Such behaviours create a working environment dominated by intimidating, hostile and humiliating working relations that hinder productivity and threaten the health, integrity and/or dignity of employees. The key tasks related to the labour market and the strategic objectives pursued through the measures and activities identified therein are defined in the AEP programmes co-funded by the European Social Fund. To efficiently address the aforementioned challenges, gender main- streaming is to be systematically included in the planning, implementation and monitoring of these programmes. The policies and programmes must be targeted to the various and specific aspects and needs of women and men, taking into account the dynamics of gender differences in vulnerable groups of the population. This is the only way to enhance the efficiency and ef- fectiveness of policies aimed at eliminating gender gaps and labour market imbalances. In order to ensure the full participation of women and men in the labour market, the two basic approaches to the implementation of gender equality policies must be combined: specific mea- sures aimed at promoting the employment of vulnerable and/or excluded groups of women and gender mainstreaming in employment policies. Basic trends during the period of the previous National Programme The economic crisis and the way it was managed hindered progress and/or even impeded the achievement of some key objectives, such as the promotion of employment or a reduction in the unemployment of women and men as outlined in the Lisbon Strategy. In the final years of the previous Programme, the employment rate of women and men recorded a downward, not an upward, trend; consequently, the unemployment rate increased. The employment rate of women and men in the 20–64 age group decreased in the period of the previous National Programme (2005–2013). The decrease recorded for men was slightly higher (4.6 percentage points) than that for women (3.2 percentage points) (Eurostat). In the 21 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 period in question, the unemployment rate increased and remained high for women (11.0%) and men (9.5%) (Eurostat, 2013). The most significant decline was noted in the youth employment rate, in particular in young women aged 25–29 (by 11.9 percentage points), which widened the gender gap, which stood at 10.7 percentage points in 2013. At the same time, a much faster increase in the unemploy- ment rate was seen for women in this age group; in 2013, it was 20.0%, which placed Slovenia at the very top of the EU countries with the highest unemployment rate of women in this age group (Eurostat). In the 2005–2012 period, a sharp increase in the share of unemployed highly-skilled women was recorded, i.e. by almost 16 percentage points or 2.5 times, while the share of unemployed men increased by 3 percentage points or 1.3 times (SURS). The only age group that recorded an increase in employment in the 2005–2013 period was that of elderly women. The employment rate in the age group 55–64 increased by 6.7 percent- age points for women, while the employment rate for men decreased by 1.2 percentage points (Eurostat). This contributed to reducing the otherwise very high level of gender inequality. At the same time, an increase in the unemployment rate of women and men in this age group was noted, but was slightly higher for women than for men. Data on gender segregation indicated a slight decrease in occupations and a slight increase in sectors. A comparison of self-employed persons showed that in the period concerned the number of self-employed women and men increased, but the self-employment rate for women remained lower than for men. Slovenia exceeds the EU average in the share of self-employed women (15.2%) and men (22%) by 3.7 and 3.2 percentage points, respectively (Eurostat, 2013). A slight reduction in the gender gap was noted in fixed-term employment, but the share of women with fixed-term employment contracts in Slovenia remained considerably above the EU average (women in Slovenia – 16.6%; women in the EU – 13.5%) (Eurostat, 2013). The gender gap became larger in part-time employment, as the share of this type of employ- ment contract increased mainly for women, i.e. from 9% to 12% (Eurostat). According to Eurostat, the gender pay gap in the period concerned decreased further (from 4.9% in 2007 to 3.2% in 2013) and was considerably lower than the EU average. Neverthe- less, the gaps in some sectors are far above average; on average, women in the finance and insurance sector are paid 20.6% less than men, in the health sector and social work 15.7% less, and in education 8.3% less than men. Activities carried out and progress achieved in the period of the previous National Programme As regards the labour market, attention was focused on the efforts to ensure gender equality in employment and work, primarily within the Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007–2013 and the AEP Programme 2007–2013. They were articulated as the possibility to apply and be selected at all stages of implementation, the objective being to include at least 55% of women. Among others, the following programmes were carried out: The Promotion of Employment for the Long-Term Unemployed 2009–2010, On-the-Job Train- ing and Employ. Me, aimed at facilitating the employment of difficult-to-employ unemployed persons. The MDDSZ contributed towards increasing employment opportunities for women and their competitiveness on the labour market through the implementation of programmes aimed at promoting the employment and work activity of unemployed people, funded from the European Social Fund. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 22 In cooperation with some other ministries and funds, the Ministry of the Economy and the Min- istry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs also carried out programmes aimed at promoting new employment opportunities by encouraging the self-employment of women and female entre- preneurship (e.g. a programme promoting the professional advancement of women and other programmes to develop equal employment opportunities funded by the European Social Fund). In most of the programmes carried out the participation of women was higher than that of men. As many as 191,789 persons, of whom 64% were women, were included in the activi- ties carried out under the Operational Programme for Human Resources Development in 2012. The share of young participants was 21.2%, of whom 56.5% were women. A higher share of women (61.3%) was also recorded among participants with disabilities (MDDSZ). Roma people were also included in the AEP programmes; the share of Roma men was slightly higher than that of Roma women. Different events were organised with a view to highlighting the issue of inequality between women and men in the labour market, raising awareness, exchanging views, learning about good practices, etc. The Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia strengthened its supervision over gender- based discrimination in employment. Thus, the sensitivity in identifying discriminatory prac- tices increased. As regards sexual and other harassment at work and mobbing, enhanced supervision was introduced. Other activities, such as the development of tools to monitor their occurrence and the way they are addressed, training for counsellors and different awareness- raising campaigns, also played an important preventive role in this context. Within the projects and programmes funded through the Operational Programme for Human Resources Develop- ment, some project activities were aimed at encouraging employers to eliminate discrimina- tory practices in employment. In 2009, the Government adopted the Decree on Measures to Protect the Dignity of Employees of the State Administration, which provides measures to prevent sexual and other harass- ment or mobbing and measures to be implemented in cases when sexual or other harassment or mobbing have already occurred. Almost 500 participants attended the training course for counsellors, first organised by the Office for Equal Opportunities and then by the MDDSZ. The Guidelines for the Protection of Employees against Sexual and other Harassment or Mobbing in the Workplace were drawn up. Key challenges and orientations in the period of the new National Programme 2015–2020 The data on the status of women and men in the labour market indicate that we have managed to maintain certain comparative advantages related to the status of women and men in the labour market and even reduce the gender gap in some areas (e.g. the employment rate of el- derly women, the gender pay gap). Despite the aforementioned and even though women have on average a higher education level, they face numerous obstacles: it is more difficult for them to find a job, they are self-employed or engaged in entrepreneurship less often, they occupy lower positions of employment, and often have fewer career opportunities than men. There- fore, we will continue to carry out the activities and measures that have proven successful and will also devote more attention to the issues requiring specific and more target-oriented measures. These will primarily focus on particular categories or groups of women whose status further deteriorated during the crisis or who were in greater distress due to their vulnerability. In Slovenia, women have become increasingly prevalent in tertiary education, their number continues to exceed that of men with the same education level. Despite these facts, their sta- tus in the labour market is weaker than that of men, which is particularly evident for young 23 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 women with a high educational level. The biggest difficulty is the difference in the unemploy- ment rates of women and men, particularly young first-time job seekers with a high education- al level. This gap has been increasing and shows that it is far more difficult for young women with tertiary education to enter the labour market than it is for young men. The promotion of the employment of women from this group will be at the forefront of our efforts. Once the crisis is over, Slovenia cannot afford to continue to lose the potential of young women with tertiary education who cannot find employment; therefore, specific temporary measures are required for this target group. In general, women are faced with more negative consequences in the area of employment as they are the ones who have to adapt to the needs and expectations of the family. Despite strengthened supervision regarding gender-based discrimination in employment and increased awareness of this issue, women continue to be discriminated against more often than men, in particular in connection with motherhood or parenthood and prejudices regarding care for the family and children. It is necessary to continue the strengthened inspection and eliminate the causes that contribute to discriminatory practices in the labour market by some employers. Vertical and horizontal segregation are noted in numerous industries and occupations. The promotion of non-traditional job choices remains one of the key challenges. These include professions in which one sex is greatly under-represented due to social perceptions and ste- reotypes. The new Resolution defines the following key objectives in the area of employment: to increase the employment rate of women, in particular those with tertiary education and from deprived groups, to reduce vertical and horizontal segregation, to combat gender-based discrimination in employment and work and to ensure appropriate working environments without sexual or other forms of harassment and mobbing. 2.1.2 Objectives and measures I. REDUCING DIFFERENCES IN THE EMPLOYMENT RATES OF WOMEN AND MEN Objective 1: To increase the employment rate of young women, in particular those with tertiary education and other vulnerable or deprived groups of women Status: The employment rate of men in the 20–64 age group was 71.2%, while that of women was 63.0% (Eurostat, 2013). The unemployment rate of men was 9.5% and of women 10.9% (Euro- stat, 2013). In December 2013, the Employment Service of Slovenia had 124,015 unemployed persons registered, of which 47.9% were women. The registered unemployment rate of women was 14.2% (men 13.0%). The greatest share of registered unemployed women were 30–39 years old (26.6%). At the end of 2013, Slovenia’s the construction industry and mining em- ployed the lowest number of women (9.1% and 12.6%, respectively), while the highest share of women were employed in health care and social services (81.1%) and in education (79.2%). There were 157 women per 100 men with tertiary education, but the employment rate of women with tertiary education in the 20–64 age group was below that recorded for men (84.7% for men and 80.8 for women) (Eurostat, 2013). The widest discrepancy in the employ- ment rate was recorded between young women and men: in the 25–29 age group the employ- ment rate for women was 65.3%, while the rate for men was 76.0% (Eurostat, 2013). This age group also recorded the highest unemployment rate for women (20% for women and 12.6% Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 24 for men) (Eurostat, 2013); the widest gap was between women and men with university edu- cation, where as much as 76.4% of the registered unemployed were women (Employment Service of Slovenia, January 2014). Young people account for the largest share of temporary employment. In the 20–29 age group, 53.3% of the temporary employed were women and 41.3% men. The share of the temporary employment of young people places Slovenia at the top of the EU countries (Eurostat, 2013). This situation adversely affects the opportunity to become independent and to decide to start a family and also increases the risk of poverty. Self-employment can be an important facilitator of entrepreneurship and job creation. It is very important in this context for undertakings to not be established merely out of necessity or in- volve precarious work. There are more men than women among the self-employed. Of all the employed, 22.0% were self-employed men and 15.2% self-employed women (Eurostat, 2013). In 2013, there were 30,344 people with disabilities among the active working population, of which 47.3% were women (SURS). Compared with the average male employment rate (72%), Slovenia recorded a higher em- ployment rate for men with foreign citizenship (85%), while the employment rate of women with foreign citizenship (42%) was substantially lower than the average female employment rate (65%). The unemployment rate of women with foreign citizenship was 25%, while that of foreign men was 6% (Eurostat, 2011). Measures: – the promotion of female employment within the framework of the AEP and other program- mes, taking into account their status in the labour market; – the preparation of analysis and, if necessary, the establishment of programmes to promote the employment of young women, primarily those with tertiary education, within the frame- work of the AEP and other programmes; – the preparation of analyses and, if necessary, the establishment of programmes to promote the employment of disadvantaged groups of women (Roma women, women with disabili- ties, migrant women), within the framework of the AEP and other programmes; – the promotion of women entrepreneurship; – gender mainstreaming in the planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes and projects to increase employment that should be based on differences in the status of women and men in the labour market, and the establishment of programmes and projects to pro- mote gender equality and reduce inequalities between women and men. Indicators: – the employment rate for women and the gender gap; – the employment rate for young women and the gender gap; – the employment rate for young women with tertiary education and the gender gap; – the number and scope of projects, measures and programmes to promote the employment of disadvantaged groups of women, the number of participants by sex and the number of employees participating in the programmes and projects by sex; – the employment rate for women with foreign citizenship and the gender gap; – the number of employed women with disabilities and the gender gap; – the share of female entrepreneurs; – the rate of early-stage entrepreneurial activity and the gender gap; – the number of projects, measures and programmes to promote female entrepreneurship and the number of participants by sex; – the number of programmes, measures and projects that incorporate gender mainstreaming. 25 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Institutions responsible: MDDSZ, MGRT Participating authorities: MNZ, Office for National Minorities, Office for Youth (MIZŠ) Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. II. REDUCING VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL SEGREGATION Objective 1: To increase the share of women and men in occupations and sectors in which they are under- represented Status: As regards occupations, in 2013 the share of women exceeded that of men among specialists (60.2%), officials (56.2%), services and sales staff (61.9%) and among unskilled workers (57.7%); the lowest share of women was recorded in non-industrial occupations (10.3%). Women prevail among staff employed in health and social work (80.8%), education (78.9%) and catering and tourism (64.1%); the construction (11.7%), transport and storage (17.1%) and electricity, gas and steam supply (20.5%) sectors employ the fewest women. The share of women employed in the ICT sector is 29.9% (SURS). Measures: – activities to eliminate gender stereotypes in career choices and the implementation of pro- jects and programmes to encourage women and men to choose non-traditional occupations and careers, in particular in sectors with high potential; – gender mainstreaming in the planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes and projects to reduce segregation, based on the differences that exist in the status of women and men in individual industries and occupational groups, and the establishment of pro- grammes and projects to promote gender equality and reduce inequalities between women and men. Indicators: – the share of employed women by industries and occupational groups; – the number of programmes, measures and projects aimed at encouraging women and men to choose non-traditional occupations; – the number of programmes, measures and projects aimed at encouraging women and men to choose non-traditional occupations in sectors with high potential, such as energy, envi- ronmental policy, ICT, etc.; – the number of programmes, measures and projects that incorporate gender mainstre aming. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ, MIZŠ, MI, Employment Service of Slovenia Participating authorities: MGRT Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 26 III. FIGHTING GENDER DISCRIMINATION AT WORK Objective 1: To provide better information about rights and to supervise the implementation of provisions prohibiting discrimination in employment and work and sexual and other harassment and bul- lying at the workplace Status: In 2013, work inspectors detected 9 violations of the prohibition of discrimination, of which 7 cases included discrimination in hiring and 2 cases of discrimination within the employment relationship. There were 123 violations of the provisions protecting workers’ dignity at work, most of them related to the adoption of or compliance with appropriate measures to protect workers, and some to the provision of information about these measures to workers (Annual Report of the Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia, 2013). Measures: – the activities to enhance the provision of information and raise awareness of the rights re- lated to the prohibition of discrimination, sexual and other harassment, and mobbing at the workplace; – strengthened inspections of the implementation of provisions prohibiting discrimination in employment and work and of the implementation of provisions related to the protection of workers’ dignity at work. Indicators: – the number of activities carried out with a view to enhancing the provision of information to employees about rights related to the prohibition of discrimination, sexual and other harass- ment, and mobbing at the workplace; – the number of inspections of the implementation of provisions prohibiting discrimination in employment and work and of the implementation of provisions related to the protection of workers’ dignity at work. Institutions responsible: Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia, MDDSZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. 2.2 RECONCILIATION OF WORK, PRIVATE AND FAMILY LIFE 2.2.1 Situation, trends and challenges Family and partnership The reconciliation of work, private and family life is one of the most important conditions for achieving equal opportunities for women and men and ensuring equal economic indepen- dence. Work and family life should complement and not exclude each another. Therefore, the conditions for better reconciliation of one’s professional and family responsibilities should be created for working women and men. Better reconciliation entails that employees will not ex- perience balancing the two areas as a permanent conflict or burden that each person has to tackle in his or her own way, often unsuccessfully, but as a normal part of one’s private life and professional life. Thus, one of the most important objectives of the family policy in the 27 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Republic of Slovenia will be achieved, i.e. the creation of conditions to provide equal personal development opportunities to all members of society. In recent times, European policies for the reconciliation of work, private and family life have increasingly focused on measures that actively promote gender equality. They recognise the fact that it is not possible to achieve the objective of increased female employment unless bet- ter reconciliation of work and family responsibilities is ensured, as women most often face dif- ficulties in reconciling their professional and private life. The slow changes seen in the relevant patterns prompted the introduction of measures promoting more balanced sharing of family responsibilities between women and men in many countries, so as to provide for non-transfer- rable parts of parental and child sick leave, i.e. a right that cannot be transferred to the other partner. The countries where women typically interrupt their careers to raise children and normally work in part-time employment have introduced measures to facilitate their re-entry into the labour market and full-time employment. The countries where poorly developed and over-priced preschool networks represent a significant obstacle devoted particular attention to measures to increase the quality and accessibility of preschool. A large part of the responsibil- ity for better reconciliation of work, private and family life falls on employers; in recent years, efforts to introduce family-friendly policies to public corporations and institutions have been strengthened. Due to evolving demographic trends, the spotlight has shifted to measures to facilitate care for elderly family members, still predominantly provided by women. Slovenia records a traditionally high female employment rate, ranking it above the EU aver- age. Despite strong female participation in the labour market, traditional notions of gender roles in household chores and in care for children and other dependent family members have not changed significantly. Deeply rooted gender-related social norms and values give rise to numerous difficulties faced by working parents as regards the reconciliation of one’s career and family life. Often it is women who are willing to give up some career opportunities to have more time for family and adapt more easily to the given expectations related to family. Family obligations and/or challenges in the reconciliation of work, private and family life are one of the key reasons why women find it difficult to pursue a career and take up decision-making positions in business, the public sector or politics. Traditional family units – where care for children, dependent family members and household chores are the domain of women and men only “help” occasionally – are still prevalent in Slo- venia. This is also evidenced by the data on absence due to parental leave, part-time work due to children and absence in order to care for a sick family member. We have seen a gradual development of a type of family where men are more equally engaged in care for children, but women still do most of the household chores. A transition to a family type characterised by equal or shared care for children and the household seems rather remote, but various forms of family units do exist in Slovenia and the traditional division of gender and age-related roles has been changing. In order to enable women to participate equally and fully in the labour market, a more equal sharing of parental responsibilities, care for the elderly and needy family mem- bers and the household chores between men and women is required. Stereotypes regarding the division of labour in the private sphere should be eliminated and the perception of typical “female” and “male” tasks changed. The adoption of legislative and other measures and activi- ties aimed at eliminating stereotypes can create conditions to accelerate this slow process of facilitating the equal participation of women and men in family responsibilities. The concept of reconciliation should be understood as a broad mechanism composed of a variety of measures. It is directly influenced by underlying family and social policies, such as those related to child care and long-term care for the elderly and dependent family members, appropriately arranged and paid maternity, paternity and parental leave as individual and non- Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 28 transferrable rights and good legislative arrangements regarding child sick pay; an appropriate national policy on child maintenance to promote responsible and good parenting is also of vital importance. Flexible forms of employment can also contribute towards facilitating the reconciliation of professional responsibilities and family work, but the introduction of such forms should be carefully considered, particularly when they are “a must” and the only possible alternative almost exclusively associated with one sex. Family-friendly policies introduced by companies and organisations and the state’s active role in promoting male care for children and the use of paternity and paternal leave are also important. Basic trends during the period of the previous National Programme The data show that the number of men who took paternity leave increased during the period of the first National Programme. In 2005, the paid 15-day leave was used by 11,308 fathers, while in 2013 this number increased to 16,625. In 2006, paid leave of more than 15 days was used by 1,441 fathers, while in 2013 this number increased to 3,141 (MDDSZ). An increase was also recorded in the number of fathers who used part of the parental leave: from 921 in 2006 to 1,496 in 2013; given the fact that approximately 21,000 persons per month were entitled to this parental benefit in 2013, the share was low (MDDSZ). According to the European Survey of Quality of Life, working men in Slovenia spend 15 hours per week caring for children, compared to 25 hours by women. Men spend 10 hours, while women spend 14 hours per week doing household chores and cooking (Eurofound, 2012). In comparison with 2007, the number of hours spent with children by working women and men de- creased by 1 hour and 4 hours, respectively. Women spent 2 hours less per week for household chores and cooking, while men spent 1 hour more for the same tasks (Eurofound, 2007, 2012). Sick leave for family member care is mostly taken by women. In 2005, women took 85.3% of the total days of sick leave for family members, compared to 82.2% in 2012 (NIJZ). Activities carried out and progress achieved in the period of the previous National Programme Most of the activities under the previous periodic plans aimed at promoting gender equality in family life and partnership were devoted to education, information and awareness raising with regard to active fatherhood (e.g. the media campaign “Daddy, get active!”), the equal division of family work and parenting between partners and the deconstruction of social stereotypes (research, analyses, conferences, promotional campaigns, etc.). The inclusion of this content into the education and training of teachers and other staff in education reinforced their compe- tencies and knowledge in this area. The key role in the implementation of the aforementioned activities was played by the MDDSZ, MZZ, MIZKŠ, MŠŠ, MP, the former UEM and certain re- search institutions, university faculties and institutes. The positive statistical indicators suggest that the aforementioned measures and activities influenced the decisions of men favourably, as the number of fathers taking paternity and pa- rental leave increased. In addition to these activities, particular attention was devoted to the education and training of professionals engaged in family matters and faced with the gender equality principle in deal- ing with partners in divorce and child custody procedures and in arranging child maintenance and contact agreements. Thus, the objective of improving the expert skills and qualifications of mediators in family disputes and strengthening the competence of the judiciary in family law has been achieved. 29 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 The projects aimed at promoting greater responsibility of employers towards parents also achieved positive results. The projects on the topic of the reconciliation of work, private and family life, for example within the Community initiative EQUAL, contributed to better identifi- cation of the situation regarding the reconciliation of work, private and family life in Slovenia. The promotion of family-friendly measures found a positive response among employers; a substantial number of companies participated in the Family-Friendly Company certification procedure. The participation of new companies and organisations in this procedure and other individual projects aimed at facilitating the reconciliation of work, private and family life con- tributed significantly to creating a working environment more favourable to the reconciliation of work, and family or private life. Due to the economic crisis and with a view to providing a stable and sustainable national macroeconomic environment, measures to reduce maternity, paternity and parental leave compensation were adopted. These measures had a stronger adverse effect on women than on men, given that women take parental leave more often than men. In 2014, a new Parental Protection and Family Benefits Act was adopted; it specified that the right to 260 days of parental leave be divided into an individual 130-day right of the father and an individual 130-day right of the mother. Mothers may transfer 100 days to fathers, while fathers may transfer 130 days to mothers. The 15-day paternity leave (with entitlement to paternity leave compensation) has been extended to 30 days, and the 75-day paternity leave, in respect of which fathers’ minimum salary social security contributions were paid, was abol- ished. This right is to be introduced gradually. The initial proposal specified that fathers would only be allowed to transfer 100 days of their parental leave to mothers or to the other parent, but was withdrawn following a heated response from the public as to the alleged interference with the right to choose and the manner of taking leave imposed on parents. Key challenges and orientations under the new National Programme 2015–2020 The conventional gender division of roles is still often found in private life. Despite the in- creased active participation of men in family work, in particular in the care and upbringing of children, which is also evident from the high number of men on paternity leave, women still do most of the family work, i.e. housework and care for children and elderly family members. Therefore, we will continue to implement measures and activities aimed at promoting active fathering and eliminating obstacles to a more balanced division of family responsibilities be- tween both parents, also by promoting relevant legislative amendments. The number of men who take the paid 15-day paternity leave is high (it is taken by two thirds of fathers), while the share of men who use the parental leave continues to be very low de- spite a slight improvement recorded; therefore, more balanced use of this leave is one of key challenges. Patterns regarding the division of work and the distribution of responsibilities in the family are formed during the first year after the birth of a child and are perpetuated throughout the partner relationship and passed on to children, who learn about gender roles from their parents. The unequal division of care for sick children is also noted; leave taken to care for a sick family member and/or “child sick leave” are primarily used by women. Consideration should be given to the measures leading to more equal sharing of leave taken to care for a sick family member between the parents. More responsible parenting requires a changed approach to contact, custody and maintenance arrangements following a divorce, including better provision of information on the rights of beneficiaries and court procedures. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 30 Research has shown that changes in sharing care for children are also held back by deep- rooted beliefs of women regarding their role and the “irreplaceability” of the mother and their self-notion of being the only ones suitable or able to carry out certain tasks. Therefore, even more attention will be paid to measures aimed at breaking the stereotypes and cultural barri- ers that define male and female roles in the family and society. One of the most crucial problems is care for the elderly, who are growing in number and be- coming an increasingly important segment of the population. A substantial contribution to care for the elderly is provided by families, in particular by women; therefore, the accessibility and quality of long-term care services must be improved to relieve women and promote the role of men in such care. As regards the reconciliation of work, private and family life, young people are in a particularly difficult situation due to longer education, late labour market entry and the prevailing precar- ious forms of employment. Single-parent families, of which most are single-mother families, are also faced with more difficulties. Research on the reconciliation of work, private and family life carried out among young parents in Slovenia (Kanjuo Mrčela, Černigoj Sadar, 2005/2006) showed that the culture of responsibili- ty of employers to parents needs to be strengthened further and in order to promote awareness that support for good practices enhances employees’ effectiveness, productivity and dedication. In this way, we also contribute towards the elimination of hidden discrimination of women. The objectives of the reconciliation of work, private and family life policies defined in the Na- tional Programme focus on facilitating the achievement of reconciliation of family or private life and professional life and eliminating the existing stereotypes regarding the roles of women and men in the family and partnerships with a view to achieving more equal sharing of family work and parental and care responsibilities between women and men. 2.2.2 Objectives and measures I. BETTER RECONCILIATION OF WORK, PRIVATE AND FAMILY LIFE Objective 1: To strengthen social responsibility and support services ensuring reconciliation of work, private and family life Status: With a view to strengthening corporate social responsibility in Slovenia, a project enabling companies to acquire a Family-Friendly Company Certificate was introduced. To date, more than 190 companies and organisations employing more than 68,000 people have received such a certificate. Its purpose is to ensure short- and long-term positive effects as regards reconciliation of work, private and family life of employees, which are seen in a reduction in staff turnover, sick leave, nursing and care leave, the number of accidents, etc., and increased employee satisfaction, motivation and affiliation, which have positive economic effects. The network of public and private preschools has been strengthened and facilitates the reconcilia- tion of work, private and family life; additional forms of childcare provided outside the working hours of preschools and during illness recovery periods, and affordable school-holiday and oc- casional care services are also needed. Measures: – the establishment and strengthening of support services (occasional child care, school-hol- iday care, active family leisure time, information points for families, household help, meals 31 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 at work and school meals, etc.) to facilitate the reconciliation of work, private and family life, devoting special attention to single-parent families; – the implementation of projects and programmes to increase corporate social responsibility and family-friendly policies. Indicators: – the number of programmes, measures and projects aimed at strengthening social respon- sibility and support services facilitating the reconciliation of work, private and family life; – the number of programmes, measures and projects aimed at strengthening social respon- sibility and support services facilitating the reconciliation of work, private and family life dedicated to single-parent families; – the number of companies and organisations participating in the programmes aimed at in- creasing corporate social responsibility and family-friendly policies; – the number of new support institutions – centres for families; – the number and share of participants in the programmes of new support institutions – fami- ly centres. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ, MIZŠ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. II. MORE EQUAL SHARING OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN PARTNERS Objective 1: To increase the share of fathers who take parental leave and sick leave to care for family mem- bers and work part-time due to parenting Status: According to data for 2013, employment was highest in the 25–49 age group (82.9%), for both women (79.9%) and men (85.8%). Slovenia’s employment rate in this age group was above the EU average; in recent years, a downward trend has been recorded, more distinctive as regards women than for men. People of this age usually start a family. The employment rate recorded in this age group for women and men with no children was 76.3% and 79.5%, respectively. For men with one child under 6 years of age, the employment rate was 92.9%, for women 76.1%; for men with two children it was 94.1% and for women 81.4%; and for men with three children or more it was 91.9% and for women 71.6% (Eurostat). According to the Labour Force Survey (2010), the 15-day paternity leave was taken by 75% of fathers after the birth of the youngest child in the household. The share of men and women who took child nursing and care leave was 7% and 93%, respectively. Fathers who took child nursing and care leave did not use much of the leave; two thirds used up to three months and only one third used 7 to 12 months. The percentage of mothers who used 7 to 12 months of child nursing and care leave was 80%. The right to work part-time due to parenting is mostly exercised by mothers. In 2010, the number of persons working part-time due to nursing and care for a child for at least one month stood at 44,000. The number of women (72%) was substantially higher than for men (SURS). Measures: – the implementation of activities to facilitate more equal sharing of parental leave, part-time work due to parenting and sick leave to care for family member between the parents; – activities promoting active fathering. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 32 Indicators: – the number of activities that contribute towards greater equality of parental roles, that fa- cilitate the reconciliation of work and family, and that strengthen support services aimed at ensuring the reconciliation of work, private and family life; – the share of fathers taking parental leave; – the share of fathers working part-time due to parenting; – the share of men taking sick leave to care for a family member. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ, MZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. Objective 2: To promote more equal division of parental roles after divorce Status: In recent years, the average number of divorces has stood at slightly over 2,000 per year. Half of them have children (SURS). In the majority of divorce cases, custody of the children is granted to the mother. In 2013, this was the case in 61% of divorces. The share of fathers with custody of children (17%) and the share of shared custody (22%) have been increasing (SURS, 2013), but mothers continue to bear a greater time and cost burden. According to the MDDSZ, there are 59,745 children entitled to maintenance. In most cases (90.91%), fathers are liable for payment. The maintenance amount ranges from EUR 0.01 to 1,562.11, with the average amount being EUR 131.73 (MDDSZ, 2014). There are no precise data available on unpaid maintenance. A non-governmental organisation (Društvo Ostržek) engaged in this area estimates that no or irregular maintenance payments occur in as much as one third of cases. The Public Guarantee, Maintenance and Disability Fund of the Republic of Slovenia reported receiving 11,555 claims for maintenance compensation from the start of its operation until 2011. A decreasing trend in the number of claims submitted has been recorded in recent years. The Fund has been increasingly successful in recovering unpaid maintenance; nevertheless, claims against debtors amount to more than EUR 41 million. Measures: – the modernisation of arrangements regarding child custody and contact, maintenance de- termination and recovery decisions in divorce cases, including the determination of the minimum maintenance amount; – activities to raise awareness and provide information on child custody and contact decisions in divorce cases and related maintenance rights and procedures. Indicators: – the number of adopted regulations that contribute to more efficient consideration of matters of child custody, contact, maintenance payment and recovery; – the number of activities to raise awareness and provide information on child custody and contact decisions in divorce cases and related maintenance rights and procedures. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ Participating authorities: MP 33 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. III. MORE EQUAL SHARING OF HOUSEWORK AND CARE Objective 1: To eliminate stereotypes about gender roles in society, family and relationships and to facilitate more equal division of care and housework Status: There is a substantial gender gap in the number of hours of (paid and unpaid) work: 17.3% of men and 41% of women work over 70 hours per week (Eurofound, 2012). Employed women with children spend 25 hours per week on care for children, compared to 15 hours spent by men, 14 hours per week on cooking and house chores, compared to 9 hours spent by men, and 10 hours per week to help and care for people in need, compared to 13 hours spent by men (Eurofound, 2012). A research study entitled “Gender equality in family life and partner relations” (MDDSZ, 2012) showed that daily housework is done predominantly by women (in more than two thirds of cases, it is mostly done by women) – women prepare meals, do the washing up or load the dishwasher, do the laundry, clean the house and iron much more frequently than men or couples together. Occasional chores are distributed more equally: for the most part, men do small repairs in the apartment or house, maintain outdoor areas and look after the car; gar- dening is done equally by both partners; in nearly two thirds of cases, couples decide on home interior design and maintenance and/or house construction or renovation together; where this is not the case, men alone decide on these issues approximately five times more often than women. Decisions about daily life in a partnership are taken by couples together (use of the family car, what to eat at special events, with whom the couple socialises in free time, how the family spends spare time) – with the exception of two questions more frequently decided by women, i.e. when the home is clean and tidy enough and what to serve for dinner. Several stereotypes were also exposed in connection with the tasks related to children. In cases where couples do not carry out these tasks together, women more often than men play and socialise with children, take care of school matters, take children to the doctor, dress them, attend to administrative matters related to children, organise child care in emergencies and organise transportation for children to leisure activities. Measures: – the implementation of projects and programmes to challenge stereotypes and change be- havioural patterns related to the roles of women and men in the family, relationships and household; – strengthened community care services for the elderly and other dependent family mem- bers. Indicators: – the number and scope of the programmes, measures and projects that contribute to the elimination of gender role stereotypes in family and relationships; – time spent on household chores and gender differences; – time spent on care for children and gender differences; – time spent on care for dependent family members and gender differences; – the number of activities to strengthen community care services for the elderly and other dependent family members. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 34 Institutions responsible: MDDSZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. 2.3 A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY FREE OF GENDER STEREOTYPES 2.3.1 Situation, trends and challenges Education, culture, sport, science and higher education Today’s society is characterised as a knowledge-based society, as the development and use of knowledge are vital for its progress. Human capital and the ability to fully utilise all available potentials are at the heart of a competitive and knowledge-based society. In Slovenia, the strengthening of human resources is a priority in the medium-term and national research and development programmes. Therefore, our society can no longer afford to have women’s po- tential left untapped. Recent data and research show that their knowledge is not appropriately used and does not reflect their actual education and abilities; furthermore, women’s career and job opportunities are limited. The Europe 2020 targets are to have at least 40% of 30-34–year-olds completing third level education and school drop-out rates below 10% by 2020. Throughout Europe, early school leavers are mainly men; women record a higher level of educational attainment than men and outnumber them as new university graduates in almost all Member States. In 2012, the rate of early school leavers among women was 24% lower than for men; women were also 27% more likely to have completed higher education (Eurostat). Despite this, occupational segregation is high and for the most part women are employed in lower paid sectors. In order to achieve the Europe 2020 Strategy objectives, Slovenia set two main goals: the share of early school leavers will not exceed 5% and 40% of 30-34–year-olds will obtain a tertiary education degree. Compared to other European countries, the share of male early school leavers in Slovenia is small, even though more boys than girls drop out of school; the EU target has already been met and we must make every effort to prevent the situation from worsening. Even though Slovenia achieved the Strategy’s objective concerning tertiary education in 2013, substantial gender imbalances continue to be noted and Slovenia ranks among the countries with the widest gender gap (only exceeded by Latvia and Estonia). Women in Slovenia have already reached or even surpassed the Europe 2020 Strategy objective, but compared to them, men are far from reaching the 40% target related to completed third level education. No significant differences exist between boys and girls in their abilities and talents in any school subject, which is also proven by various international competitions, but this fact has no bearing on their study or work choices. From the very beginning of their education, girls and boys face prejudices and stereotypes that restrict their options when choosing study courses and professions. These include stereotypical notions about female and male roles and occupa- tions appropriate for women or men that influence choices and decisions that men and women make, even though they are not in line with the needs and development trends of modern society. Gender segregation should be addressed early on and should not focus on women only; it should include men and their choices of study programmes and areas where they are 35 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 under-represented. The two sexes are challenged by seemingly similar – but in fact very lim- ited – choices of study courses and professions. In graduate and postgraduate studies and consequently in employment in research and devel- opment activities, women outnumber men in education, health and social work, social sciences and humanities, while more men than women are found in IT and engineering. In addition to prompting gender-influenced study choices, stereotypes also increase economic inequality as they prevent people from reaching their potential and contributing more to the development of society. This is consequently reflected in the labour market and opportunities for promotion to decision-making positions. These prevailing notions are often maintained and reproduced by various systems, organisa- tions and institutions, ranging from educational, science and research institutions, to media and advertising organisations. But these very systems can significantly contribute to overcom- ing the stereotypes if they become more conscious of gender equality. It is vital that education for gender equality become part of the education system and included in regular training for teaching staff. In science, women also face stereotyping and implicit discrimination that obstruct their aca- demic careers and influence their research productivity. Discrimination is rarely seen in explicit formal statements or legal documents; it is more often found in implicit policies and actions of institutions, i.e. in employment policies, promotions, pay, awards and honours, etc. It consid- erably hinders the development of science and is closely connected with the issue of unequal representation in decision-making positions. Analyses and research show that the share of women in academic institutions has been increasing, but the pace of their promotion to higher titles has been slow, especially as regards top academic positions. Basic trends during the period of the previous National Programme In the period in question, the educational level of women and men increased and the share of 30–34-year-old university graduates increased among women and men. The share of men increased by 10.1 percentage points (from 19.4% in 2005 to 29.5% in 2012), while the share of women increased by 19.5 percentage points (from 30.1% in 2005 to 49.6% in 2012). In 2010, over 40% of women had university education (Europe 2020 Strategy objective), while men lag behind by 10.5 percentage points (Eurostat). The percentage of women in particular fields of study saw little change and remained steady. Women continue to favour the following fields of study: education, arts and humanities, social sciences, business, law, health, social work and services. Only few (25.05% in 2012) choose fields such as engineering, manufacturing and processing technology and construction. A sub- stantial rise was recorded in the percentage of women in science, mathematics and computer science: from 33.4% in 2005 to 41.0% in 2011 (SURS). In recent years, the gender ratio as regards doctoral degree holders has been rather balanced, although slightly in favour of men. In 2013 and 2005, women represented 47.5% and 47.6% of those who received a doctoral degree, respectively (SURS). An upward trend was noted in the percentage of women among higher education lecturers and researchers. Activities carried out and progress achieved in the period of the previous National Programme During the period of the first National Programme, activities were carried out with a view to laying the foundations to introduce gender equality in curricula, programmes and teaching materials Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 36 at all levels of education. The indicators to monitor gender equality in education were drawn up, expert bases to assess teaching materials were set and model lessons and recommendations to include education on gender equality in the curriculum, programmes and teaching materials were prepared by the National Education Institute, and study and professional training programmes for teaching and counselling staff were drafted. Through the education and training of teach- ing personnel and the recommendations, guidelines and instructions for pre-school and school teachers regarding the inclusion of gender equality issues in school subjects and other activities, the foundations were laid to ensure systematic education and further training of teaching and counselling staff for gender equality. Education and training in various methods for encourag- ing boys and girls to equally participate in curricular and extra-curricular activities traditionally characterised by predominant participation of one sex were carried out, as were projects that provided opportunities for girls at primary schools to learn about typical male occupations and promoted the enrolment of girls in secondary schools typically attended by boys. Projects carried out in the field of science significantly contributed to gender mainstreaming in scientific research programmes, policies and organisations. Considerable attention was devot- ed to activities to reduce horizontal and vertical gender segregation in science and to ensure gender-balanced representation in decision-making processes and nominations for scientific awards. Institutions that nominate candidates to bodies of scientific institutions and for scien- tific awards were actively encouraged to strictly follow the principle of gender-balanced rep- resentation. Activities to promote the planned enrolment of young people, particularly young women, in science and technology study programmes were also supported. Attention was also devoted to developing approaches adapted to women. In order to support gender studies and gender mainstreaming in scientific research programs, policies and organisations, debates and thematic conferences were organised. In the area of culture, activities were carried out to promote female artistic creativity and artistic events aimed at raising awareness among the general public about unbalanced rep- resentation of women in arts and culture. Special attention was devoted to gender-balanced representation in expert committees. The Ministry of Culture drafted the Rules on expert com- missions and included a provision regarding the gender-balanced composition of commissions to be complied with in all public calls and tenders. In the area of sport, the Women in Sport Committee of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia promoted activities encouraging women to engage in sport and to increase their representation in decision-making positions in the Executive Committee of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia and other sports organisations. A very positive trend in the participation of women in recre- ational activities has been noted in recent years; in the current context, women’s representation in decision-making positions in the Olympic Committee of Slovenia has not fallen below 10%. Key challenges and orientations in the period of the new National Programme 2015–2020 Continued attention will be devoted to the development and implementation of measures to routinely and systematically address the issue of inequalities and to overcome gender role stereotypes in various areas and across the education system. Our interest will be focused on educational content and programmes and to career and study choices. In order to ensure ef- fective teaching and the sustainability of measures, school teachers and counsellors must be well educated as regards gender equality. Even though the increasing trend noted in the percentage of women in all areas of education is moderate, targeted policies and incentives are needed in order to accelerate the process of gender balancing. One of the key challenges will be to fight gender stereotypes in study 37 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 programmes and career choices. Young women tend to choose “typically female study pro- grammes” and outnumber men in teaching, humanities, social science, health and social work study programmes, while young men are in the majority in natural science and technology programmes; a new system must be established to provide youth with information about po- tential non-traditional choices and promote further training in programmes and professions with underrepresentation and the professions of the future in demand on the labour market. Special attention will be devoted to study programmes of particular importance from the view- point of the knowledge-based society of the future to contribute to overcoming stereotypes in the industries with high development potential, which is also underlined in the Europe 2020 Strategy, such as new information technologies and energy management. The information and communication industry (ITC) contributes a quarter of the EU’s total growth and 4% of its jobs, but there is a shortage of qualified staff. Research shows that women are more amenable to energy-efficient technologies, yet do not take up jobs in energy-related industries. Hence, it is very important to encourage young people, particularly women, to participate in high-tech courses; increased participation of women in the labour market to ensure a resource-efficient Europe remains a challenge. Further efforts must be made to promote the role of women in science, particularly in the fields where they are underrepresented, to encourage gender mainstreaming in research and to re- move obstacles to women pursuing an academic career. Activities aimed at reducing gender segregation, promoting gender mainstreaming in scientific research programs and overcom- ing gender stereotypes in science will continue to play an important role. The Commission for Women in Science has been established at the MIZŠ to address gender equality and the promotion of women in science. The Commission collaborates with the European Commission’s Helsinki Group on Gender in Research and Innovation. In accordance with the Resolution on the Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia 2011–2020, which provides for the adoption of measures for gender equality and amendments to legislation and focuses attention on the role of gender in research, education and the management of institutions – the Commission discusses different initiatives and documents and provides information, opinions and observa- tions thereon. With the help of the Commission, the Ministry will support promotional activities and follow the principle of gender-balanced representation when appointing the working bod- ies within its competence and drafting legal acts and other strategic documents. In addition, the present Commission’s work programme includes discussions on the evaluation procedures in science and research and researchers’ ethics. Gender equality promotion in science, which is the key task of the Commission, is based on the systematic monitoring and elimination of the sources of gender discrimination in science, the monitoring of gender equality indicators in science, and consideration of numerous sources of discrimination in shaping general scientific policy. In this context, the Commission particularly highlights the importance of changing at- titudes towards language and providing better information to the public and of participation in international activities concerning women in science. The Ministry will follow the objectives and measures defined in the Resolution on the Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia 2011–2020 and the recommendation of the European Commission on ensuring gender equality in research and will specify them in an Action Plan for improving career opportunities for researchers in all career periods and ensuring the gender equality principle. As an EU Member State, Slovenia is committed to removing legislative and other obstacles with a view to promoting career opportunities for women in accordance with the principles of equal gender opportunities, improving gender balance in decision-making and strengthening the gender dimension in research programmes and projects. To this end, structural changes in the institutionalisation of scientific research are required and need to be Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 38 reflected in the programmes adopted to promote gender equality in the organisations fund- ing and carrying out scientific research activities. The adoption and implementation of the aforementioned Action Plan and the programmes promoting gender equality are linked to the amendment of Slovenian research legislation. Gender mainstreaming in all policies and programmes in the area of culture, media and sport is also very important; special attention should be devoted to providing support to projects and programmes that encourage the elimination of stereotypes and support equal opportuni- ties and/or gender equality. In this context, particular focus will be placed on the creativity and potential of marginalised social groups of women and men. One of the factors that contribute to gender equality is the use of gender-sensitive language. To this end, greater emphasis should be placed on the usage of the two grammatical forms denoting masculine and feminine genders. 2.3.2 Objectives and measures I. REDUCING INEQUALITIES, OVERCOMING STEREOTYPICAL SOCIAL ROLES IN EDUCATION AND SPORT AND DECREASING GENDER-BASED SEGREGATION IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES AT ALL LEVELS AND IN CURRICULAR AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Objective 1: To systematically integrate gender equality into curricula, teaching materials and advanced training programmes for staff in education Status: Slovenia makes every effort to achieve gender equality in education through the curricula. The primary and general purpose is to tackle traditional and persistent gender roles and stereo- types. Equal opportunities are included among the principles conducive to the achievement of pre-school curriculum objectives. The primary school programme addresses gender equality and non-discrimination through various school subjects: Introduction to the Environment in lower grades; Ethics and Society and Housekeeping in higher grades; and Sociology in second- ary school. Measures: – the establishment of standardised procedures to integrate gender equality topics into edu- cational programmes and teaching materials and the examination thereof in terms of the non-stereotypical representation of women and men; – the updating of primary school and gimnazija (general upper secondary school) syllabuses and study programmes to cover gender equality issues and define key contents; – further development of the competencies of teaching staff in the area of gender equality, gender-based discrimination; how to deal with issues such as gender stereotypes in educa- tion, hidden curricula; – the implementation of programmes and projects that include and promote equal opportuni- ties for women and men in sport. Indicators: – a standardised procedure adopted to integrate gender equality topics in teaching materials and their examination in terms of non-stereotypical representation of women and men; – the number of updated syllabuses; – the number of projects and programmes that take account of and include the gender equal- ity perspective and challenge gender stereotypes; 39 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 – the number of training courses to develop the competencies of teaching staff in the area of gender equality, gender-based discrimination; how to deal with issues such as gender stereotypes and hidden curricula; – the number of specific programmes to promote equal opportunities for women and men in sport. Institutions responsible: MIZŠ Participating authorities: National Education Institute, Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Slovenian Insti- tute for Adult Education, National School for Leadership in Education, National Examinations Centre, Educational Research Institute Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. Objective 2: To increase the share of girls and boys in educational programmes and fields of study where they are significantly underrepresented Status: In secondary schools, the gender imbalance was most apparent in the fields of natural sci- ences, mathematics and computer science (96.5%), followed by engineering, manufacturing and construction (93.6%), where male students were in the majority, while female students prevailed in education and teacher training programmes (93.3%). As in previous years, female students have continued to prevail in higher vocational colleges, higher education institutions and universities offering programmes in health care, social work and education, while engi- neering, manufacturing, processing technology and construction have continued to be domi- nated by male students. The only change was recorded in the fields of science, mathematics and computer science, where the share of female students increased by almost 10 percentage points in the 2004–2011 period (SURS). Female students continue to prevail in higher vocational colleges, higher education institutions and universities offering programmes in health care, social work and education. Slovenia met the European objective of 40% of 30–34-year-olds holding tertiary level education as early as in 2013 (49.6% of women and 31.1% of men). Slovenia has a substantial gender gap (168:100), which is only exceeded in Latvia (185:100) and Estonia (179:100) (Eurostat). Measures: – the promotion of guidance and activities and projects aimed at informing pupils and sec- ondary school students about educational programmes and curricular and extra-curricular activities strongly dominated by one of the sexes, with a special emphasis on encouraging girls to enrol in science and technology studies. Indicators: – the number of activities and projects aimed at guiding and informing pupils and secondary school students with regard to educational programmes and curricular and extra-curricular activities strongly dominated by one of the sexes; – the share of female students in vocational and upper secondary education by the field of study; – the share of female tertiary-level education graduates by the field of study. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 40 Institutions responsible: MIZŠ, MDDSZ, Employment Service of Slovenia Participating authorities: National Education Institute, Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Slovenian Insti- tute for Adult Education, National School for Leadership in Education, National Examinations Centre, Educational Research Institute Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. II. REDUCING INEQUALITY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN IN SCIENCE Objective 1: To increase the participation of women in science and higher education and to improve their status Status: There are almost no gender inequalities in postgraduate studies. In 2013, the share of women receiving doctoral degrees was 47.4% (SURS). However, this is not reflected in the share of female researchers with a doctoral degree in the highest research positions (31%) and posi- tions such as full professor (20%) (European Commission, 2013). The share of women in com- mittees that influence the allocation of research funds is also low, as women only account for 23% of the members thereof (European Commission, 2013). Women manage an independent national project only subsequently in their careers (within 10 years of receiving a doctoral degree: 33% of women and as much as 43% of men), they are trained abroad less frequently (for family reasons) and more often feel that there is gender-based discrimination in research (34% of women and only 6% of men) (Commission for Women in Science, 2011). The condi- tions for promotion are tailor-made to suit men rather than women. There are differences in salaries, awards and honorary titles. In the period 2000–2012, no woman won the Zois Prize, the highest award given to scientists for lifetime achievement. The list of honorary doctorates awarded by the University of Ljubljana from 1929, when it was first awarded, to 2010 shows that only four out of 72 recipients were women. The University of Ljubljana started to award the title of “honorary senator” in 1997 and to date no woman has received it. The current share of women in research in Slovenia is 34%, which exceeds the EU average of 30%. Yet in 2007 only 17% of full professors in academic institutions were women. More and more women are participating in the early stage researchers’ programme, especially in the fields of biotechnology, medicine, the humanities and social studies. Measures: – the adoption of policies and strategies to eliminate obstacles to women having academic careers; – support for programmes and projects that promote women in science. Indicators: – the number of policies and strategies aimed at eliminating obstacles to women having aca- demic careers; – the number of programmes, measures and projects to promote women in science. Institutions responsible: MIZŠ 41 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. III. IMPROVING THE AVAILABILITY OF DATA, ANALYSES AND RESEARCH ON GENDER EQUALITY Objective 1: To increase the number of scientific research studies and analyses regarding gender equality Status: There is a lack of scientific analyses and research studies on gender equality in Slovenia. They have not been conducted systematically and largely depended on the individual efforts of people interested in such research to obtain funding for these topics. In recent years, some research projects were co-funded within the framework of the targeted research programmes of the Slovenian Research Agency. Measures: – the promotion and support of research and studies on gender equality; – gender mainstreaming in relevant analyses and research. Indicators: – the number of funded research studies and analyses on gender equality; – the number of analyses and research studies that include the gender perspective. Institutions responsible: MIZŠ – ARRS Participating authorities: all ministries, all offices Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. IV. ELIMINATING GENDER STEREOTYPES AND PROMOTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN CULTURE AND THE MEDIA Objective 1: To increase the number of projects and programmes that contribute to the elimination of gen- der stereotypes and facilitate gender equality in culture and the media Status: No assessment of the status thereof can be made as no data are available on public funds awarded to creators in culture and to projects and programmes that contribute to promoting gender equality; furthermore, there is also an insufficient quantity of research on media con- tent and programmes to eliminate stereotypes and encourage gender equality, including as regards the female ethnic minority populations. Measures: – the preparation of analysis on the status of women and men in culture and media and on gender inequalities; – support for projects to eliminate gender stereotyping and to promote gender equality in the media and on the internet, including stereotypical representations of ethnic minority women; Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 42 – the harmonisation of acts and implementing regulations to include the principles of equal opportunities for women and men; – support for projects related to ethnic minorities that include women or which are intended for ethnic minority women. Indicators: – the number of analyses on the status of women and men in culture and the media and on gender inequality; – the number of projects to eliminate gender stereotyping and to promote the constitutional principle of gender equality, including the stereotyping of ethnic minority women; – the number of acts and implementing regulations harmonised with the principles of equal opportunities for women and men; – the number of projects in the field of ethnic minorities that include women or are intended for ethnic minority women. Institutions responsible: MK, MDDSZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. V. USE OF GENDER-SENSITIVE LANGUAGE Objective 1: To increase the use of gender-sensitive language Status: Language plays a vital role in the formation of the social identity of an individual and is inter- linked with social behaviour and culture. The use of language in which the presence, status and roles of women and men in society are reflected reveals whether girls and boys, and women and men, are treated equally, are equally recognised in the society and possess equal value and dignity. We tend to use masculine forms in the spoken and written language due to the gender- neutral assumption – they are perceived as referring to both sexes. The use of a gender non- discriminatory (non-sexist) language enables the language to adjust to the social and cultural changes typical of the lives of women and men and contributes towards gender equality. The use of feminine and masculine forms should be widely encouraged, particularly in education, the media and the competent authorities (public authorities, bodies exercising public powers, etc.). The use of the grammatical forms denoting both genders is laid down in the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly; its Article 115 determines that in the text of Articles, feminine and masculine forms should be used in those first articles or chapters of the draft law that define the primary subjects of the draft law, together with an explanation that thereinafter the mas- culine form would be used. Measures: – the promotion of the use of gender-sensitive language in professional, legal, administrative, educational and political texts; – the promotion of the use of gender-sensitive language in public administration, public media and education. Indicators: – the number of initiatives and texts that follow the principle of the use of gender-sensitive language in professional, legal, administrative, educational and political texts; 43 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 – the adoption of guidelines for the promotion of the use of gender-sensitive language in pub- lic administration, public media and education. Institutions responsible: MK, MDDSZ, MJU, MIZŠ, MP Participating authorities: ministries, self-governing local communities, educational institutions Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. 2.4 SOCIAL INCLUSION 2.4.1 Situation, trends and challenges Reducing poverty and social exclusion A successful modern society is based on the inclusion of all people and social groups in the social environment and in the political, economic and social processes, thus enabling their full participation in society. Numerous countries confronted with the economic crisis and its impact have focused on com- bating poverty and social exclusion in recent years. More than 80 million people in the EU live at risk of poverty, a quarter of them are children. As shown in the Eurobarometer survey Poverty and Social Exclusion (European Commission report, 2010), the current economic crisis caused the situation to deteriorate further and put at greater risk the vulnerable groups that have already had difficulties participating in the labour market and support networks. This not only results in deprivation, but also in sliding into poverty and losing crucial social assistance rights. The inclusion of vulnerable groups in society and the labour market and the reduction of poverty are essential for sustainable and inclusive growth. In order to combat poverty and social exclusion across the EU, a European platform against poverty and social exclusion was established and is one of the seven flagship initiatives of the European 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It is designed to help EU countries reach the headline target of lifting 20 million people out of poverty and social exclu- sion. The platform is based on the following action areas: promoting social policy innovations; better use of EU funds, particularly the European Social Fund; enhanced social protection and services that meet new social needs; and bringing on board a much wider range of partners to fight exclusion. The area of social inclusion is closely linked with other areas, particularly labour and social policy. The key strategy to prevent and reduce poverty and promote social inclusion is to increase em- ployment opportunities, especially for the most vulnerable population groups. Employment is the most effective way to ensure people’s independence, financial security and sense of belonging. In order to enable women and men experiencing poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and actively contribute to society, more efforts are required to increase employment opportunities and promote life-long learning, social protection systems must be strengthened, and a compre- hensive and active social inclusion policy must be pursued. Only a synergy of measures can pro- duce results and create new opportunities for people in new stages of life and protect them from social exclusion and the risk of poverty. All these measures must also promote gender equality. When drafting proposals and formulating policies to combat poverty and social exclusion, the importance of addressing gender inequalities must be stressed, given that women are at Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 44 higher risk of poverty than men. The largest gender gap is evident between elderly men and women, particularly single women older than 65 years. Single-parent households with at least one dependent child, the majority of which are mothers with children, are also in a very dif- ficult situation. The Europe 2020 Strategy highlights the importance of actively promoting social ent- repreneurship and social innovation to support the most vulnerable groups. Particular atten- tion must be devoted to ethnic minority women, primarily Roma women, who are at greater risk of poverty than other women. Women with disabilities, migrant women and women from rural areas are among the more vulnerable groups of women, i.e. women at higher risk of poverty. Slovenia is one of the countries with below average at-risk-of-poverty and social exclusion rates, but the current trend is a cause for concern as the risk of poverty has tended to in- crease more than in other European countries. This has pushed Slovenia even farther from the relevant EU objective. Slovenia will make every effort to meet the Europe 2020 Strategy target concerning poverty and social exclusion; this commitment was specified in the National Reform Programme (2010) and aimed at reducing the number of people at risk of poverty by 40,000 with regard to the baseline of 360,000 in 2008. In 2012, these numbers increased and Slovenia moved further from the target. Women and men experience and cope with poverty and social exclusion in different ways. Therefore, the identification and gender-segregated monitoring of differences – having regard to the fact that neither women nor men are a homogenous group – are required to design appropriate programmes and measures to reduce the risk of poverty and the social exclusion of vulnerable groups. The benefits of the creation and implementation of social assistance ser- vices depend on the extent to which the measures and programmes are adapted to different needs of different groups of women and men faced with a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion. Basic trends during the period of the previous National Programme The at-risk-of-poverty rate (including income in kind) started to decrease in 2005 and reached its lowest level of 10.9% before the economic crisis in 2007; then the trend reversed and stood at 13.5% in 2013. Women constantly face a higher rate of risk than men. In 2005, the at- risk-of-poverty rates were 13.2% and 9.6% for women and men, respectively, and increased in 2013 to 14.6% for women and 12.5% for men. The unemployed were at the highest risk of poverty; between 2005 and 2013, the at-risk-of poverty rate increased by 20.5 percentage points and stood at 45.9% (44.8% for women and 47% for men). Viewed by household type, the at-risk-of-poverty rate was the highest for single households where the individual was over 65 years of age. The poverty rates for 2013 were 42.1% and 33.2% for women and men, re- spectively. In comparison with 2005, the poverty rate for women decreased by 6.5 percentage points and increased by 7.2 percentage points for men. Single-parent households with at least one dependent child were very affected; their at-risk-of-poverty rate increased by 4.2 percent- age points and stood at 30.1% in 2013 (SURS). Compared with 2005, the material deprivation rate and excessive housing costs burden were higher for women and men in 2013. In the period 2005–2011, the material deprivation rate was higher for women; the trend reversed in 2012 but was again higher for women in 2013 (6.6% and 6.7% for men and women respectively) (SURS). The data on social assistance recipients show that there were on average 46,304 recipients per month in 2012 and 91,700 in 2005 (MDDSZ). The main reason for the lower number of recipients can be attributed to amended legislation. 45 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Activities carried out and progress achieved in the period of the previous National Programme In the period in question, activities ensuring the accessibility and quality of services aimed at reducing social exclusion and poverty risk and tailor-made to meet the needs of particularly vulnerable groups, including vulnerable groups of women, were carried out along with specific programmes to improve their employability and social inclusion. Several projects and programmes aimed at ensuring participants, including women, better and enhanced support for work and social integration, also devoted to the awareness-raising of employers and the elimination of prejudice against the employment of vulnerable groups in the labour market, were carried out under public calls within the framework of the Operational Programme of Human Resources Development. Attention was also devoted to women living in rural areas as they are deemed to be among the vulnerable groups at high risk of poverty. With a view to improving the quality of life and working conditions in rural areas, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, rural associa- tions and agricultural advisory services organised campaigns to raise awareness of the role and efforts of rural women in order to improve their status. The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning and the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia advocated that priority in non-profit housing should be given to vulnerable groups of women and men in order to improve the accessibility of non-profit dwellings and affordable housing loans for these groups. In this context, special emphasis was placed on the engage- ment and mutual cooperation of non-governmental organisations operating in this area. Key challenges and orientations under the new National Programme 2015–2020 Slovenia’s Development Strategy 2014–2020 envisages the quantitative objective of reduc- ing the number of people living at high risk of poverty or social exclusion from 386,000 to 321,000. With this in mind, efforts will be directed at decreasing the risk of poverty and in- creasing the social inclusion of all threatened or vulnerable groups of the population. Gender equality is among the basic principles defined in the Resolution on the National Social Assis- tance Programme 2013–2020, which also lays down the inclusion of gender mainstreaming in the implementation of measures, and in this context highlights the high at-risk-of-poverty rate for elderly women, particularly those living alone. The Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the period 2014–2020 defines the inclusion and increased employability of the inactive, the long-term unemployed, and social assistance benefit recipients as key policies to combat poverty and social exclusion. It is also important to develop new long-term care services, to invest in the promotion of an active and healthy lifestyle in all life stages, including a decrease in gender inequality in health, and to promote social inclusion through accessibility. Due to the effects of the economic crisis on women and men, greater social inclusion and a lower risk of poverty for the most vulnerable and excluded groups has become one of the most important objectives of the National Programme for the following period. There is a particular focus on the most vulnerable and excluded groups of women exposed to the greatest risk of poverty and social exclusion, i.e. elderly women living alone, single-parent (mother) families, and deprived groups of women. The Resolution on the National Social Assistance Programme 2013–2020 lays down that the gender equality principle must be integrated in all services and programmes. The strategies to reduce the risk of poverty and to increase the social inclusion of economically disadvan- taged and vulnerable groups include the development of new (innovative) measures to reduce Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 46 poverty and promote the social inclusion of groups such as children, the elderly, single-parent families, elderly single women, etc. 2.4.2 Objectives and measures I. REDUCING GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE AT-RISK-OF-POVERTY RATE Objective 1: To increase social inclusion and decrease the risk of poverty for women, especially elderly women living alone, single-parent families, and deprived groups of women Status: In 2013, the at-risk-of-poverty rate was 14.5% and increased by one percentage point over the previous year. The at-risk-of-poverty rate is higher for women (15.4% in 2013) than men (13.5% in 2013), especially for women older than 60 years of age (22.1% for women and 12.1% for men in 2013), and women older than 65 years of age living alone (women 42.1%, men 33.2% in 2013). The risk of poverty is higher for single-parent families (30.1% in 2013); most of these are single-mother families (SURS). Women also prevail among the long-term poor. The widest gender gap regarding the at-risk-of-poverty rate is recorded for the elderly and increases with age. A specific group of women more prone to social exclusion are rural women; they have limited opportunities to benefit from certain social rights and poor access to some services. Vulnerable social groups also include the Roma, particularly Roma women, people with dis- abilities and immigrants. The at-risk-of-poverty rate recorded in 2011 for foreign citizens aged between 20 and 64 years was 44.0% for men and 50.0% for women. Measures: – the implementation of projects and programmes to increase the social inclusion and reduce the risk of poverty of women; – specific programmes to improve social inclusion and reduce the risk of poverty, particularly for elderly women living alone and single-parent families; – the establishment of a method for monitoring (ongoing monitoring – data) and analysing social exclusion and the poverty risk of deprived groups of women; – specific programmes and projects aimed at improving the social inclusion of deprived groups of women. Indicators: – the at-risk-of-poverty rate for women and the gender gap; – the at-risk-of-poverty rate for elderly women (over 65 years of age) and the gender gap; – the at-risk-of-poverty rate for single-parent families: – data and analyses on social inclusion and the poverty risk of deprived groups of women; – the number of women participating in workshops, panel discussions and other events, or- ganised within professional, interest or other associations, devoted to promoting the social inclusion of deprived groups of women. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ, MKGP Participating authorities: Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for National Minorities 47 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Funding Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. 2.5 WOMEN’S AND MEN’S HEALTH 2.5.1 Situation, trends and challenges The protection of sexual and reproductive health, care for mental health, and the elimination of inequalities in health Inequalities in women’s and men’s health mirror the unequal balance of power between the sexes, biological and reproductive characteristics, lifestyle, and the exposure to risk factors, and also stem from the different gender roles in society. As a rule, a poor economic situation increases health inequalities and adversely affects the health of women and men. A society facing increasing poverty and social exclusion must cre- ate conditions for solidarity and equality. Particular attention must be devoted to the long-term and most effective, accessible prevention and promotion measures, primarily to the preven- tion and early detection of chronic illnesses and to investment in the promotion of an active and healthy lifestyle in all stages of life, including the reduction of health inequalities. These measures significantly contribute to greater social cohesion. The EU Health Strategy “Together for Health” highlights gender health inequalities and stress- es the need to eliminate inequalities in health between various social groups. It supports the Europe 2020 Strategy aimed at turning the EU into a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy promoting growth for all – a prerequisite of which is a population in good health. The life expectancy at birth has been increasing throughout the EU Member States in recent years, while a substantial decrease has been recorded in the premature mortality rate. People are expected to remain in good health for over three-quarters of life. The main factors that have contributed to the increased life expectancy include improved living and working condi- tions and a healthy lifestyle, and to a great extent advances in medical care. Similar to other European countries, women in Slovenia record a higher life expectancy than men. Population morbidity and mortality rates are important health indicators. The most com- mon causes of premature mortality are the following: cancer, accidents and violent deaths, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases of the population under 65 years of age, affecting considerably more men than women. Women live longer than men but spend a large part of their lives in poorer health due to chronic diseases and reduced capacities. The healthy life years indicator ranks Slovenia at the very bottom of EU Member States. Disability-free life expectancy for women and men ranks Slovenia the third lowest in the EU. The many social roles of women place a heavy burden on them, which is mirrored in some indicators of health, such as perceiving one’s health as poor, a larger stress burden and increased absenteeism due to illness and car for sick family mem- bers. Despite the larger stress burden experienced by women, men are at higher risk of pre- mature death from suicide than women. Compared to women, men have a five-times higher premature death rate from accidents. Mental health is another area where gender differences are very pronounced and connected with divergent treatment outcomes. Mental health is important for every person and the whole society. Mental health enables people to realise their mental and emotional potentials and make it possible for them to find and play a role in their work, social, and personal lives. Good Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 48 mental health is a resource for social cohesion and welfare. Poorer mental health in women appears as early as in adolescence. Adult women feel tension, stress and pressure more often than men and also find it more difficult to control these feelings and cope with them. More women than men are under stress due to family issues, poor relationships with co-workers, and loneliness, while stress experienced by men is more often work-related. The accessibility of health care, the use of services and their adaptation to the needs of women and men are important indicators of progress towards gender equality in health. Women in early periods of life use primary health care more often than men, which is also related to their reproductive role. Women are more receptive to the preventive services and programmes of- fered. The data for the national programme of screening and early detection of colorectal cancer intended for women and men show a significantly higher participation rate of woman than men; consequently, women efficiently reduce morbidity and mortality as regards this type of cancer. The policies for the protection of the sexual and reproductive health of the population are based on the protection of the sexual and reproductive rights of women and men. These rights are ensured through the good accessibility and variety of services available, with an emphasis on the provision of free contraception and abortion, health services in pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, as well as the early detection of reproductive system diseases. Education, information, raising awareness, and offering advice on sexual and reproductive health and rights in all periods of life increase the range of options and contribute to the pro- tection of the reproductive health of women and men and to the early detection and treatment of related illnesses and conditions. Basic trends during the period of the previous National Programme Life expectancy at birth for women is substantially higher than for men (82.9 years for women and 77 for men in 2012), but has been increasing faster for men in recent years. Compared with 2005, it increased by 2.2 years for men and 1 year for women (SURS). In 2012, women were expected to live longer than men, but men were expected to live 0.9 more years without activity limitations; in 2005, the difference in healthy life expectancy was 3.7 years in favour of women. Given that women live longer than men, they record a worse relative indicator – women are expected to live 66.7% of their lives without activity limitation (2005: 74.3%), while such expectancy for men is 73.3% (2005: 76.3%) (SURS). The mortality rates from suicide and traffic accidents have been decreasing for both sexes. The number of suicides decreased by 60 cases between 2005 and 2012 (32 for women and 28 for men), while the number of traffic fatalities decreased by 120 (36 for women, 84 for men). The mortality rates from poisoning (illicit drugs and alcohol) have been increasing for both sexes, while the hospitalisation rates for poisoning due to psychotropic drugs have been increasing for women; these are indicators of poor mental health in both sexes and addiction diseases (NIJZ). In recent years, the use of hormonal contraceptives has remained stable and the use of intra- uterine contraceptive devices has increased, which has been mirrored in a decreasing trend as regards legal abortions. Between 2005 and 2012, the rate of legal abortions dropped from 11.7 to 8.7, with a decrease recorded for all age groups (NIJZ). The health indicators for pregnant women, women giving birth and newborns have been stable without any substantial improvement, while an improving trend has been recorded across the EU. In the 2005–2009 period, the maternal mortality rate in Slovenia was 15, i.e. 15.0 ma- ternal deaths were recorded per 100,000 live births (NIJZ). In the 2009–2011 period, a lower maternal mortality rate was recorded. Given the small absolute figures and short period, for now these data do not allow any conclusions regarding the trends. 49 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 The 2010–2015 national cancer control programme for Slovenia was adopted with a view to reducing the incidence of cancer; the programme for the early detection of precancerous and cancerous changes of the cervix (the ZORA Programme) has been successfully running since 2003; the programme shows good results as regards the substantial decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer. The incidence of breast cancer, however, has been increasing for over twenty years. The na- tional screening programme for the early detection of breast cancer (DORA) has been running since 2008. Screening on demand has been operating for more than ten years; this pro- gramme provides access to mammography to women aged 50–69, i.e. in the period in which the risk of developing this type of cancer is the greatest and the examination is justified. The system has been gradually improving since 2008; currently, a personal invitation to participate in this programme is sent to women and the screening follows uniform, European standards of quality. Currently, the programme is operating in the Ljubljana and Maribor regional units. The responsible body is in the final stage of drafting a detailed plan for the expansion of the programme, which will be carried out across Slovenia and comply with the highest quality standards. Women from areas where the programme is not yet operational will continue to have access to screening on demand. Activities carried out and progress achieved in the period of the previous National Programme In accordance with the Rules on Carrying Out Preventive Health Care at the Primary Level (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, Nos. 19/98, 47/98, 26/00, 67/01, 33/02, 37/03, 117/04, 31/05, 83/07, 22/09 and 17/15), the following preventive medical examinations are carried out in Slovenia: examinations of women of reproductive age, preventive examinations for cardiovascular diseases, preventive examinations of newborns, pre-school and school chil- dren, youth and students. The Ministry of Health consistently co-funds programmes for promoting health, which focus on reducing inequalities in health. Within public calls for proposals as regards health protection and promotion programmes, funds were earmarked for programmes to help vulnerable groups of reproductive age (mothers during pregnancy, after birth, partners, family), programmes for HIV infection prevention and the promotion of safe sex between men who have sex with men, and programmes targeting other groups, primarily young people engaged in risky sexual behaviour. As regards the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and other sexually transmit- ted infections, testing programmes for men who have sex with other men have been success- fully implemented. Testing has been conducted outside medical settings. In the period concerned, programmes were also dedicated to vulnerable groups of women who experience difficulties in accessing various services and information concerning health and health care. The implementation of specific programmes (ZORA, DORA) focused on the early detection of cervical and breast cancers contributed to the better reproductive health of women and a re- duced incidence of advanced cervical cancer and the breast cancer mortality rate. The programme for the early detection of colorectal cancer (the SVIT programme) increased the number of cancers detected early and reduced the related mortality rates. The institutions responsible for the projects and programmes were the MZ, IVZ, OI, non- governmental organisations and public institutes responsible for health, the MDDSZ (mental health), MKGP, associations in rural areas and agricultural advisory services (rural women). Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 50 The Mental Health Act, adopted in 2008, established a system of health care and social as- sistance in the area of mental health, the respective service providers, patients’ rights during treatment, and procedures for patient admission. Based on this Act, the Resolution on the Na- tional Programme for Mental Health 2011–2016 was adopted; it recognises gender differences and the specific needs of women and men. The Family Violence Prevention Act (2008) and the Resolution on the National Programme on Family Violence Prevention were adopted, which provided for strengthened cooperation across sectors for more effective detection and treatment of domestic violence victims. Health work- ers have a vital role in identifying victims of violence; their appropriate actions and the assis- tance they provide to victims are very important as they are the professionals most likely to come into contact with victims of violence. Exposure to violence significantly affects the mental and physical health of the victim and has long-lasting effects. Key challenges and orientations under the new National Programme 2015–2020 Securing and promoting the sexual and reproductive rights of women and men remain key challenges in the field of health. Emphasis will be placed on a high level of accessibility and the right of choice as to services; particular attention will be devoted to the availability of contra- ception, services during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum periods, and the early detection of diseases of the reproductive system. The National Institute of Public Health carries out a project entitled “Together for Health”, funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. The project aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the provision of health care and to develop the basis for the integrated prevention of chronic diseases and reducing health inequalities in adults in Slovenia. It focuses on children and youth, with a special emphasis on preventive health care and reducing health inequalities. The project will result in proposals concerning systemic measures to facilitate the access of vulnerable groups to health insurance and health care, and proposals for upgrading the exist- ing health care programme for children and youth in order to ensure fair and equal access to quality health care services and health-education interventions to all children and youth. Within the public health initiatives and under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, other proj- ects intended to reduce health inequalities between user groups are also carried out. Special care is dedicated to sexual and reproductive health and the rights of youth; they must have continued access to relevant information, to acquiring skills for informed decision-making on matters of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and to youth-friendly reproductive health services. To this end, schools must provide education on healthy sexual behaviour. The recent analyses of perinatal health indicators show that despite the universally available preventive and curative health care of women during pregnancy and childbirth, women with a lower socio-economic status tend to have worse pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, particular attention should be devoted to women of lower socio-economic status, with a focus on vulner- able and excluded groups (immigrant women, female victims of domestic violence, etc.), in health care during pregnancy. More attention should also be devoted to the comprehensive care of pregnant women and women in the postpartum period, with a particular focus on men- tal health. In the forthcoming period, the DORA Programme for the early detection of breast cancer must be made accessible throughout the country, thus ensuring the equal treatment of all women in Slovenia. The data indicate that men who have sex with other men are at risk as regards their health. They are more likely to be infected with sexually transmitted diseases (HIV, syphilis, HBV, 51 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 gonorrhoea) and require care tailored to the specific needs related to their lifestyle and sexual behaviour. Healthcare professionals must be educated as to their specific needs, and the obstacles, such as the fear of stigma and discrimination, which prevent them from seeing a doc- tor must be eliminated. 2.5.2 Objectives and measures I. THE PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF WOMEN’S AND MEN’S HEALTH Objective 1: To improve health and reduce gender health inequalities Status: Even though men die younger, most research shows that women suffer from diseases more of- ten than men and spend a larger part of their lives ill. One third of women aged 20 to 64 suffer from a protracted illness or health problem, and approximately 7% assess their general health as poor or very poor. They go to doctors more often than men, primarily due to acute respira- tory and urinary tract infections and gynaecological and musculoskeletal diseases; younger women also go to doctors due to injuries, and women over 50 years of age due to cardiovas- cular diseases, mainly high blood pressure. Preventive examinations are also frequent, mostly for cervical cancer screening, contraceptive consultations and examinations during pregnancy. Musculoskeletal diseases, injuries, acute respiratory infections and mental disorders are the most frequent causes of women’s absence from work; younger women record very frequent and protracted sick leave during pregnancy and frequent sick leave for family member care. The most frequent causes of men’s absence from work are respiratory diseases, injuries and poisoning not related to work, musculoskeletal diseases, and infectious and parasitic diseases. Women aged 20 to 64 are treated in hospitals more often than men; the difference can be at- tributed to young women and their reproductive role. The main reasons for the hospitalisation of women under 40 years of age include pregnancy, childbirth, and non-inflammatory genital diseases, which are also the most common diseases suffered by women under 60 years of age. Benign and malignant neoplasms, gastrointestinal disorders (primarily of the gall bladder), injuries and cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases are also among the leading causes of hospitalisation (NIJZ). Measures: – activities to reduce inequalities in access to health services and treatment and the introduc- tion of appropriate measures in the health system and intersectoral policies; – the development and implementation of prevention programmes offering new approaches to improving the response rate of men to prevention programmes. Indicators: – the life expectancy of women and men; – the healthy life expectancy of women and men; – the responsiveness to prevention programmes, by sex; – self-evaluation of health by sex. Institutions responsible: MZ, NIJZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 52 Objective 2: To improve the sexual and reproductive health of women and men Status: In 2012, on average, a primary care gynaecologist attended to 6,500 women aged 13 or older, which was more than the established professional norm. There are differences across regions. The women-to-gynaecologist ratio was most favourable in the Notranjsko-kraška region, and the least favourable in the Obalno-kraška region. The data of the Cancer Registry of Slovenia for 2010 show that breast cancer is ranked first for women, amounting to one fifth of all cancers (20.9%), whereas the most common cancer in men is prostate cancer (18%). The most common sexually transmitted infections in Slove- nia are chlamydial infections, gonorrhoea, non-specific urethritis, genital herpes, and genital warts, with syphilis cases also occurring. In 2012, infections were more common among men than among women. In the majority of the reported cases, more men contracted the HIV in- fection. In 2012, there were 42 reported cases of HIV in men and 3 in women and 11 men and 1 women developed AIDS (NIJZ). In the 2000–2009 period, there were 0–5 maternal deaths per year. The average maternal mortality rate in this period was 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live-born infants. Continuous moni- toring and modernisation of activities to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity are provided. Measures: – the drafting of a proposal for a network of primary reproductive health care providers and a strategy to protect sexual and reproductive health; – the modernisation of prevention programmes for sexual and reproductive health that takes into account the needs of both sexes; – the strengthening of national capacities to monitor and develop reproductive health indica- tors; – the dissemination of prevention programmes as regards sexual and reproductive health throughout the country; – the development and implementation of programmes to raise awareness and provide infor- mation as regards sexual and reproductive health and rights, including education on safe sex behaviour in schools; – educating primary and secondary care physicians as regards non-discriminatory treatment and the particular needs of specific groups of men and women; – enhanced accessibility to primary care gynaecologists, with a particular focus on and sensi- tivity regarding adolescent and underprivileged groups of women; – educating health care staff with a view to increasing their efficiency in dealing with domestic violence cases encountered in health care; – programmes of psychosocial support for women who have experienced violent and other traumatic events; – educating primary health care and other professionals to recognise mental distress and sui- cidal behaviour. Indicators: – the number of updated prevention programmes for sexual and reproductive health; – the maternal mortality rate; – the rate of stillborn births; – the perinatal mortality rate; – the number and scope of programmes to raise awareness and promote and improve sexual and reproductive health; 53 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 – screening participation rates for the ZORA and DORA programmes and the cervical and breast cancer mortality rates; – the share of HIV infections diagnosed early; – the number of health care staff trained to deal with cases of domestic violence encountered in health care more effectively; – the number of participants in programmes providing psychosocial support to women who have experienced violence and other traumatic events; – the number of primary health care and other professionals educated to recognise mental distress and suicidal behaviour. Institutions responsible: MZ, NIJZ, Institute of Oncology Participating authorities: MIZŠ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. 2.6 THE BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN DECISION-MAKING POSITIONS 2.6.1 Situation, trends and challenges Decision-making positions in politics, the economy and other areas of social life The unequal participation of women and men in political decision-making continues to be one of the main challenges of democratic societies of today, as this represents a democratic deficit and suggests a lack of credibility of the institutions that exclude women from decision-making processes. There is a need for change in this area because societies are losing precious hu- man capital; participation in decision-making is prejudiced and lacks the potential experience, content, and changes as regards priority topics and political activities that women provide wherever they exceed a critical representation threshold. The share of women in key political and economic positions in Europe was almost unchanged for a long time, therefore countries started to adopt more binding measures. Some of them, including Slovenia, determined a statutory minimum share of women and men to be in- cluded in electoral lists. Slovenia suffered from a substantial democratic deficit in political decision-making as women were almost completely absent from these processes despite their high educational level and hence significant potential. Amendments to the Constitution determined the minimum share of women and men in the electoral lists, starting with the elections to the European Parliament (2004; target share: 40%), followed by the elections to the local and municipal councils (2005; target share: 40%), and the elections to the National Assembly (2006; target share: 35%). The aforementioned legal amendments gradually led to true progress, also due to the new political parties that did very well in the elections and presented women in districts where there was a greater possibility of them being elected. This breakthrough, however, was not simultaneously or equally satisfactorily achieved at all levels. The share of female mayors is still low, as is the share of women in the Government and the National Council. The androcentrism of those holding leadership positions in political parties is largely to be blamed for this situation as it is difficult to combat stereotypes and prejudices that create numerous obstacles that women find hard or impossible to overcome Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 54 and which prevent them from reaching the decision-making and topmost positions of political parties. The progress achieved as regards decision-making in the economy is too slow as well. Many companies were slow to remove gender imbalances; therefore, some European countries ad- opted laws and implemented quotas to ensure gender equality in the management boards of companies. In its report (March, 2012), the European Commission found that the progress re- garding women’s access to management positions in companies was below expectations. Only one in seven members of the boards of major European companies were women and it would take over 40 years to achieve any significant gender balance. For that reason, the European Commission tabled a legislative proposal in November 2012 aimed at ensuring more balanced representation of women and men on the management boards of companies. The proposal for an EU directive on gender balanced representation for directors of companies listed on stock exchanges and related measures determines a minimum 40% target share of women or the underrepresented gender in non-executive director positions to be attained by listed compa- nies by 2020 and by listed public corporations by 2018. In recent years, the number of women holding a managerial position in Slovenia has been ris- ing, but achieving a top position in the economy is still a challenge for women: many women are confronted with a ”glass ceiling” or structure that hinders their promotion to the high- est management positions in companies. Women need to prove themselves more than men, as according to the predominant ideas they do not “automatically” have the abilities and qualities expected of persons holding high decision-making positions and are also constantly judged and assessed according to different criteria. The efforts to achieve gender-balanced representation must not be limited to politics and the economy, as it holds true for all areas that the higher up the social ladder one travels, the fewer women can be found. There are very few women holding top positions in academic and research institutions, and most of the European countries fail to achieve the target of 25% representation of women in decision-making positions in research, as defined in the strategy for equality between women and men 2010–2015 by the European Commission, even though it would importantly contribute to improving the competitive and innovative potential of to- day’s society. The data on the professional and academic status of female scientists show that substantial vertical and horizontal gender segregation persists in the EU. Horizontal segrega- tion means the underrepresentation of women in certain sciences and professional categories and their concentration in others. Vertical segregation means the uneven representation of women in the highest and decision-making positions in science and higher education. There are considerably fewer women than men in the decision-making structures of certain cultural establishments and in media institutions, national sports organisations, and other institutions. Basic trends during the period of the previous National Programme Slovenia has seen an obvious improvement in the representation of women in politics, with the exception of female mayors and representation in the National Council. Legislative amend- ments, i.e. the introduction of gender quotas, prompted a gradual increase in the share of women elected to the National Assembly, the European Parliament, and municipal and local councils. The most substantial increase was recorded in the last period of the implementation of the National Programme. In 2005, amendments to the Local Elections Act were adopted to gradually introduce the 40% representation of both sexes in the electoral lists, including zipper and proportional electoral systems. Following the implementation of the 20% quota, in the 2006 local elections women were elected to 22% of the offices or seats. In the 2010 elections, a slight increase in this per- 55 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 centage was noted, with women being elected to 23.26% of the offices or seats of municipal and local councils. In the 2006 and 2010 local elections, the statutory gender quotas in the electoral lists were exceeded. Article 40 of the Local Elections Act requires 40% representation of each sex on any list of candidates and fully entered into effect at the 2014 local elections; in the transitional period, 20% and 30% representation was required in the 2006 and 2010 elections, respectively (SURS). The share of women on electoral lists for municipal/local council elections has been increasing since the introduction of quotas, as has the number of elected female councillors. The share of women mayors has been persistently low and only reached 5% in the 2010 local elections. In 2006, the amended National Assembly Elections Act came into effect; it determines the gradual introduction of at least 35% representation of each sex on any electoral list. In the 2008 elections to the National Assembly, the mandatory representation of each sex was 25%, but only 12 women or 13.33% were actually elected, which placed Slovenia below the European average. The situation changed significantly in the early elections of 2011: the share of women on the electoral lists was 43.15% and 29 women, or 32.22%, were elected deputies to the Na- tional Assembly. Slovenia has thus created a critical mass and exceeded the EU average of 24%. Unlike in the case of this general representative body, the principle of gender-balanced repre- sentation was not followed in the composition of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. There were five female ministers, or 27.8%, in the Government appointed in 2008; this share dropped to 18% in the Government appointed after the 2011 early elections, and then again increased to 20% in the Government formed in 2013. In the 2009–2014 term of the European Parliament, Slovenia had gender balanced MP rep- resentation, with four female and four male MPs, which significantly exceeded the average female representation in the European Parliament. The share of women in the highest-ranking and best-paid jobs (senior officials, managers and legislators) is lower than that of men, even though on average women attain a higher level of education than men. In 2012, the share of women in these positions was 39.0%. Compared to the 34.2% recorded in 2005, this share increased slightly (SURS). In other areas, insufficient progress was made regarding the proportion of women in top decision-making positions. In higher education and research, the share of women among uni- versity teachers increased in that period, as did the share of women among researchers, but only a slight increase was recorded in the share of female teachers and researchers holding the highest titles. The representation of women in decision-making and managerial positions in higher education and academic institutions has been persistently unbalanced. In culture, the situation regarding women in top positions is similar to that in higher education and science. The data on gender representation in different commissions and councils of the Ministry of Culture show that during the period in question the participation of women and their number in chair positions increased. Activities carried out and progress achieved in the period of the previous National Programme At the beginning of this period, the legislation laying down the minimum share of women and men on the lists for elections to the European Parliament, the National Assembly and municipal councils was adopted. The introduction of gender quotas into electoral legislation led to a higher share of women on the electoral lists (parties wishing to participate with their respective electoral lists were obliged to include female candidates on the list) and gradually increased their electability. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 56 Various initiatives were launched, including the possible funding of women’s groups and/or equal opportunity groups within the political parties in order to strengthen these groups and their networks with a view to encouraging women within the political parties to compete for and hold leadership positions. The initiative was included in the bill amending the Political Par- ties Act, adopted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in July 2013. The Act lays down that women’s organisations within political parties that hold the status of an organisation operating in the public interest in the area of gender equality can acquire public funds to co- fund projects and programmes in accordance with the regulations governing the public interest in the area of gender equality. In order to increase the likelihood of women being elected to the National Assembly, a bill amending the National Assembly Elections Act was drafted in 2010 and was to introduce mea- sures to ensure gender-balanced representation on electoral lists by abolishing electoral dis- tricts and changing the target share of representation (a 40% quota for the representation of each gender on an electoral list instead of 35%); it also included a new provision laying down that candidates in the top half of any electoral list were to appear in alternate gender order, whereby in four (out of a total of eight) constituencies, persons of one gender were to be posi- tioned on the top of the electoral lists, while in the remainder of constituencies persons of the opposite gender would appear first. Following the withdrawal of the bill from the parliamen- tary procedure, in 2013 a group of deputies submitted a bill amending the National Assembly Elections Act that provided at least 40% representation of each gender on any electoral list. Furthermore, alternating female and male names would appear in the top half of any electoral list; the candidates of one gender were to be featured at the top of the same list in one half of the constituencies, while in the other half, candidates of the opposite gender were to be placed first. Where any given electoral lists were to be submitted for an odd number of constituencies, the difference at the top of the electoral list was not supposed to exceed one female or male candidate. This bill also failed to pass. Besides the amendments to electoral legislation, many additional activities were carried out and contributed towards a better understanding of the numerous and varied obstacles that hinder women from equally participating in decision-making processes and thus paved the way for their elimination. Awareness-raising and information activities regarding the benefits and advantages of gender-balanced representation were carried out for various target groups and raised the political culture and created a political atmosphere favourably inclined to gender equality policies. The research to identify potential measures to ensure more gender-balanced representation in decision-making in politics and the analyses of elections regarding gender- balanced representation examined the impact of quotas on gender-balanced representation on the electoral lists and women’s eligibility to be elected; they showed that significant progress had been made and highlighted the key challenges that remained to be addressed. It would have been impossible to achieve such progress unless civil society had put constant pressure on the political parties’ leadership to enable women to stand for elections in electable districts and to place them in electable positions on the lists. The project entitled Towards Equalizing Power Relations between Women and Men, to be concluded by the end of 2015 and carried out through the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, is aimed at raising awareness and supporting research on the importance of gender-balanced representation in decision-making in politics (MDDSZ). Some projects – such as a pilot project for mentoring young women such that they become involved in politics, showed which methods of work or strategies proved successful in encour- aging women to enter into politics – indicated the areas where changes are needed and ways to efficiently develop political skills, promote networking and break down prejudices and ste- reotypes in this area. 57 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 The activities aimed at promoting gender-balanced representation in decision-making posi- tions in the economy were carried out in the last period of the implementation of the National Programme. The projects promoting awareness of the importance of balanced power relations between women and men and gender equality in society and providing information on the situ- ation of female and male managers and the barriers to gender-balanced representation in de- cision-making positions in the economy were carried out within the framework of the EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms. A research study on the participation of women in decision- making was conducted among 800 of the largest Slovenian companies; these companies were also called on to sign the Declaration on Increased Representation of Women on the Boards of European Companies issued by the European Commission. These projects have helped to identify the problem; however, they have not resulted in a higher percentage of women in decision-making positions in the economy. Therefore, binding measures are required. Key challenges and orientations in the period of the new National Programme 2015–2020 The results of the last local elections indicate that the positive measures undoubtedly con- tributed to improving women’s representation on the electoral lists, but additional legislative amendments are required to enhance their electability. The gender target share for all the elections should be set at 40% and efforts should be made to ensure alternate placement of women and men on the electoral lists for the European Parliament and National Assembly elec- tions; as regards the latter, a change in the electoral system or the abolishment of electoral districts would also be required. In addition, measures of a less technical nature and activities aimed at creating a political culture conducive to gender-balanced representation in decision- making positions must be introduced. It is necessary to pay more attention to the political decision-making levels where no significant changes in the gender structure of the decision- making bodies have been noted. The largest companies still record a very low share of women and are only making slow prog- ress and overlook the fact that the equal participation of men and women in decision-making in the economy triggers the increased competitiveness, efficiency and productivity of companies. Support measures, programmes, consultations, and research carried out in recent years have helped to identify the problem; however, this has not resulted in a higher percentage of women in decision-making positions in the economy. In this context, binding measures regarding the minimal share of women in decision-making positions in the economy are required. In the future, more attention will be devoted to legislative measures to achieve gender balance in the economy. Based on the analysis of the implementation of the Decree Regulating the Criteria for Imple- mentation of the Principle of the Balanced Representation of Women and Men, inspection ac- tivities will be introduced and strengthened in the next period to secure a strong commitment from bodies and authorities subject to the Decree to ensure a gender-balanced structure. Special attention will be devoted to gender-balanced representation in cultural organisations, especially those deciding on the distribution of public funds in the area of culture, awarding grants and scholarships and determining cultural policies and/or having a significant influence on the promotion of the cultural production of various social groups, particularly deprived ones. Public media organisations and/or their programme committees and boards, which determine the policies of the key media institutions, should commit to following the principle of gender- balanced representation and to promoting media programmes that support the objectives of equal opportunities and gender equality. As regards sport, efforts will be focused on ensuring increased representation of women in decision-making in the key sports organisations. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 58 The new National Programme includes four basic objectives that address decision-making processes, namely: to increase the share of women at all levels of political decision-making; to increase the share of women in decision-making positions in the economy; to increase the share of women in governmental bodies, expert councils and public corporations; and to increase the share of women in managerial positions in companies operating in the public interest. 2.6.2 Objectives and measures I. BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN DECISION-MAKING POSITIONS IN POLITICS Objective 1: To increase the share of women at all levels of political decision-making. Status: Legislative amendments, i.e. the introduction of gender quotas, have affected the share of women elected. In the 2014 early elections to the National Assembly, 32 women, or 35.6%, were actually elected, the most thus far. The share of female municipal or local councillors increased as well. In the 2010 elections, the share of female councillors was 23.26%, while their share increased to 31.8% in the 2014 elections. In the 2014–2019 term of the European Parliament, Slovenia is represented by three female and five male MPs (SURS). The percentage of female mayors and women in the National Council remains low. In the 2010 local elections, 10 women were elected to a total of 208 mayoral posts (5%). In the 2014 lo- cal elections, out of 212 mayoral posts, 16 women were elected (7.5%). Among 18 elected Roma councillors in the 2010 elections, there was only one Roma woman (5.5%); the share of female Roma councillors increased to 12.1% in the 2014 elections. In the most recent elec- tions in 2012, only three women (7.5%) of a total of 40 members of the National Council were elected. In 2013, Slovenia’s first woman Prime Minister took office. 20% of the members of the Gov- ernment of Slovenia were female. After the 2014 early elections, 41.2% of the members of the Government were female. Measures: – legislative amendments aimed at increasing the minimum share of women and men on the electoral lists for the National Assembly to 40%, alternating female and male names on the electoral lists and the abolishment of electoral districts; – the provision of financial support for the empowerment and training of women in political parties; – the implementation of projects and programmes to encourage women to enter politics and to raise awareness of the importance of gender-balanced representation in politics at the national and local levels, with special attention devoted to young women, Roma women, women from national minorities and other deprived groups. Indicators: – new legislative provisions in electoral legislation; – the share of funding earmarked for the empowerment and training of women in political parties; – the number and scope of implemented projects and programmes aimed at encouraging women to enter politics and raising awareness of the importance of gender-balanced repre- 59 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 sentation in politics at the national and local levels, and the number of participants therein by sex; – the share of women in decision-making positions in politics, in legislative and executive branches of power and at the national and local levels. Institutions responsible: MJU, MDDSZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. II. BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN DECISION-MAKING POSITIONS IN THE ECONOMY Objective 1: To increase the share of women in executive and managerial positions in the economy Status: With a 15.3% share of women on management boards, Slovenia is ranked above the European average, but still lags behind the target of 30% and 40% female representation to be met by 2015 and 2020, respectively (European Commission, 2013). The most recent data show that the share of women in decision-making positions in the econ- omy remains low, progress is slow and women continue to be heavily outnumbered by men. Only 5% of the twenty largest listed companies have chairwomen, and 19% have executive and 22% non-executive women directors (Eurostat, 2013). In 2011, the Office for Equal Opportunities conducted research on the balanced participation of women in decision-making among 800 of the largest Slovenian companies and found that women held 21.8% of the top positions. Most of the reporting companies were in the financial and insurance sector, trade and the processing industry; 2.8% of companies had adopted an internal act or measure regarding gender-balanced representation. When explaining the main reasons for the failure to achieve the balanced representation of women and men in decision- making positions, the companies pointed to the substantial prevalence of one gender (40.2% of companies responding) and to the fact that, rather than a group, top management consisted of only one person (28.6%). Persistent prejudices can be noted in the responses stating that there are not enough experienced and appropriate candidates among women (5.6%) and that men choose men for promotion. Measures: – the adoption of legislation promoting gender-balanced representation in decision-making positions in companies; – the implementation of programmes and projects to encourage women to take up manage- rial positions in companies and activities to raise awareness of the importance of gender- balanced representation in managerial positions in the economy. Indicators: – new legislative provisions to promote gender-balanced representation in decision-making positions in the economy; – the number of programmes and projects to encourage women to take up managerial posi- tions in companies and activities to raise awareness of the importance of gender-balanced representation in managerial positions in the economy, and the number of female partici- pants; Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 60 – the share of women in decision-making positions in the economy, particularly executive and non-executive directors in large listed companies. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ, MGRT Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. III. BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN GOVERNMENTAL BODIES, EXPERT COUNCILS AND BODIES GOVERNED BY PUBLIC LAW Objective 1: To increase the share of the underrepresented sex in governmental bodies, expert councils and bodies governed by public law Status The Decree Regulating the Criteria for the Implementation of the Principle of Balanced Rep- resentation of Women and Men (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 103/2004) specifies the implementation of Article 14 of the Equal Opportunities for Women and Men Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 59/2002), which binds the Government of the Republic of Slovenia to follow the principle of ensuring a gender-balanced composition of advisory and coordination bodies, other working bodies and delegations established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia under legislation and its Rules of Procedure; this prin- ciple must also be complied with when appointing or proposing representatives of the Govern- ment of the Republic of Slovenia in bodies governed by public law, unless otherwise allowed for objective reasons. The aforementioned Decree sets forth compliance with the principle of the balanced representation of women and men, i.e. a minimum of 40% representation of each sex, and defines the manner of proposing the composition of the bodies and authorities. Measures: – An analysis of the implementation of the Decree regarding gender-balanced representation in the bodies concerned and amendments proposed if necessary. Indicators: – The share of female and male members of governmental bodies, expert councils and bodies governed by public law. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. IV. BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN DECISION-MAKING POSITIONS IN ORGANISATIONS OPERATING IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST Objective 1: To increase the share of women in decision-making in educational, scientific, higher education, cultural, media, sports and other organisations Status: Similar to the situation in politics and the economy, unbalanced gender representation in deci- sion-making positions is also seen in research, cultural, media, sports and other organisations. 61 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Out of all deans, less than 10% are women, and out of all associate and full members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences, only 5% are female (Arsenjuk, 2012). Among all teaching as- sistants and basic university lecturers, 51% are female, the share of female assistant profes- sors is 46%, the share of female associate professors 31%, and the share of female full profes- sors only 20%. There is an interesting example found in the field of natural science – 50% of doctoral graduates are women, but out of all full professors only 7% are women. The share of women participating in decision-making processes in the media is lower than that of men. At the strategic level (CEO), 20% are women, while at lower operational levels their share is 41%. Women make up 14% of the members of the councils of public media organisa- tions and 50% of the council members in private media organisations (EIGE, 2013). Measures: – activities promoting gender-balanced representation in various areas: in science and higher education, culture, media, sports and other organisations of national importance. Indicators: – The share of women and men in management positions in education and research institu- tions; – the share of women and men in management positions in national sports organisations; – the share of women and men in management positions in the media; – the share of women and men in management positions in cultural institutions. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ, MK, MIZŠ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. 2.7 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 2.7.1 Situation, trends and challenges Physical, psychological, sexual and economic violence against women Violence against women is one of the most widespread human rights violations and a form of gender-based discrimination resulting from unequal social relations between the sexes. It is a form of violence that reinforces inequalities between men and women and compromises the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims. It hinders women’s full participation in the economic, social, political and cultural life and is one of the key problems and root causes of gender inequality. In the context of gender inequality, only gender-related forms of violence are considered, i.e. violence that affects one sex disproportionately. The term “violence against women” has taken hold throughout the international community, among the expert public and in relevant documents because all international and national studies show that gender-based violence af- fects women disproportionately and is one of the key problems that needs to be addressed to achieve substantive equality between women and men. Nevertheless, the fact that men and boys can also be victims of violence, including domestic violence, which is often a taboo topic, must not be overlooked. Violent behaviour is derived from cultural traditions and the system of education; it is taught rather than inherent and tends to be passed down from generation to generation. It is aimed at gaining control over others through force, intimidation and ma- nipulation. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 62 There are various forms of violence against women: family violence or violence in a domestic environment and in partnership relations, trafficking in women and girls, sexual exploitation and other violations of sexual and reproductive rights, violence in armed conflicts, harmful traditional and cultural practices, etc. Poverty and social exclusion are factors that increase the risk of violence and other forms of exploitation, especially in times of economic crisis. Violence against women mostly appears in a domestic environment or in relationships and therefore used to be widely understood as a private rather than a social problem (economic, health, social, political). Violence in a domestic environment and relationships is less appar- ent and hence more difficult to identify and prevent. The majority of victims are women who are married or cohabiting with the perpetrator. According to non-governmental organisations engaged in the prevention and reduction of the consequences of violence against women in Slovenia, the share of unreported violence, primarily that perpetrated in a domestic environ- ment and relationships, is much higher than indicated by official data. Sexual violence, most commonly suffered by women and children, is a brutal interference with the dignity and sexual integrity of a person and constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights. Regrettably, cases of trafficking in human beings, the slavery of our times, occur fre- quently in our modern globalised society; its most common victims are women and children, particularly girls and young women from poor backgrounds. Many of them are victims of forced prostitution and pornography, forced marriages and other forms of violence and exploitation within the sex industry. Women are not a homogeneous group and their personal circumstances, such as race, ethnic origin, religion or political opinion, health, housing or migrant status, age, disability, social class, marital status, etc., are the factors that influence the form of violence they experience and the way they cope therewith. In this context, certain groups of women are more vulner- able targets of various forms of discrimination and violence. Members of vulnerable or mar- ginalised groups, such as older women, disabled women, women of ethnic minorities, etc., are frequently prevented from accessing legal and medical aid, primarily due to various ad- ministrative obstacles; awareness-raising campaigns frequently fail to reach them as a target group. Migrant women are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and experience the most brutal forms of violence, ranging from the restriction of movement and starvation, to rape and forced prostitution. They are at great risk of becoming victims of trafficking in hu- man beings because in many cases their status in the country where they are staying is illegal. Studies show that violence against women is extremely widespread both globally and in Slo- venia. Studies of violence against women estimate that in Europe 20% to 25% of women have experienced physical violence at least once in their adult lives and more than 10% have suf- fered sexual violence involving the use of force. As much as 45% of women have experienced some form of violence: 12% to 15% of women are victims of family violence and seven women in the EU die every day due to family violence. In Slovenia, every second woman is a victim of psychological violence, such as verbal abuse, shouting and humiliation, while every fifth experiences physical violence. Women often experi- ence sexual and economic violence. Non-governmental organisations estimate that violence is present in every fifth family in Slovenia, that every seventh woman has been raped, and that only 5% of women who have experienced violence seek any kind of help. Help is provided by numerous non-governmental organisations, social work centres, police, safe houses and crisis centres. The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, adopted in April 2011 and which came into force in August 2014, is the first 63 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 international legal instrument to comprehensively cover the obligations of the state parties to prevent violence against women, including family violence. Slovenia signed it in September 2011 and ratified it in December 2014. In cooperation with the non-governmental organisations and state institutions, Slovenia has already taken important steps to prevent violence against women. In recent years, significant legislative improvements have been made; measures to protect victims and deal with perpe- trators have been identified and involve the introduction of restraining orders and the deten- tion of perpetrators violating such orders. Given increased media, professional and political attention, violence against women has been recognised as a social problem, but we have yet to achieve the objective of zero tolerance as a basis for the whole system of prevention of violence against women in the domestic environment and relationships. Compared with some other countries, the professional and general public continue to be poorly aware of this form of violence. This is shown in the value system of the society and in conduct revealing covert tolerance of perpetrators of violence. In order to achieve zero tolerance of violence, the myths about violence against women need to be crushed time and again as they blur the assessment of the extent of the problem and protect the perpetrators, and to this end, media, political, cultural and educational institutions must be involved. What is needed is systematic, continu- ous, planned and targeted awareness-raising among the general public with regard to violence in the domestic environment and relationships and the promotion of understanding that the responsibility to counter this form of violence lies with the society at large and, ultimately, with each person who can prevent violence instead of choosing to keep silent. The engagement of non-governmental organisations, the police, and social work, health, and education services, as well as professionals, is required for coordinated and effective action to counter violence against women and develop appropriate policies to prevent and respond to violence against women. Basic trends during the period of the previous National Programme The data on violence against women, trafficking in human beings, sexual violence and sexual exploitation for prostitution only include cases of violence that have been reported as crimi- nal offences and therefore fail to show the real extent of these forms of violence. Despite the fact that the police have acquired greater powers to take action in family violence cases, the levels of unreported violence in a domestic environment and relationships remain particularly high. According to the data of the MNZ, there were 4,682 restraining orders prohibiting perpetra- tors from accessing places or persons issued between 2008 and 2012. The highest number of restraining orders issued occurred in 2009 (1,121) and the least in 2008 (556). The number of minor offences involving family violence decreased slightly, from 5,064, or 15.4%, (of a total of 32,785 minor offences against public order) in 2008, to 3,453, or 13%, (of a total of 25,799 minor offences against public order) in 2012. One of the underlying reasons can be found in the fact that certain conduct previously defined as a minor offence is now treated as a crimi- nal offence of family violence. Between 2008 and 2012, the share of women victims of minor offences against public order increased from 44.3% to 54.8%. From the end of 2008 – when the new Criminal Code entered into force and introduced the new criminal offence of family violence – to 2012, the percentage of women among victims of family violence was 87.9. The perpetrators were men in almost all cases (99.4%). Between 2008 and 2012, there were on average 50 rapes committed per year. In 98% of cases the victims were women. In all cases except one, the perpetrators were men. In the mentioned period, most victims of sexual vio- lence were women (95.2%); the perpetrators were men in all cases except one. In the period from 2008 to 2012, women were murder victims in 46% of cases; the perpetrators were men Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 64 in 92% of cases. There were 74 cases of murder/manslaughter committed within families. According to the data of the police, 41 women and 4 men were found to be the injured parties regarding the criminal offence of trafficking in human beings, 4 women and 3 men were the injured parties regarding the criminal offence of establishing slavery relations, and 51 women and 4 men were the injured parties regarding the criminal offence of exploitation through pros- titution in the period 2008–2012. Activities carried out and progress achieved in the period of the previous National Programme In the initial period of the implementation of the Action Plan, the emphasis was placed on improving the legal framework for the prevention of violence in domestic environments and relationships and on developing and establishing mechanisms for its effective implementation and evaluation. Relevant laws and strategic documents were adopted: the Family Violence Prevention Act (2008), the Resolution on the National Programme of Family Violence Prevention 2009–2014, and four implementing regulations governing the procedures conducted by the authorities and services in dealing with family violence. In addition, various instructions and guidelines to be followed by institutions in the struggle against family violence were drawn up. The new Criminal Code, adopted in 2008, defines family violence as a criminal offence; the Tasks and Powers of the Police Act, adopted in 2013, includes extended police powers in cases when a restraining order is issued regarding the detention of perpetrators not respecting such order. All these normative measures contributed to better systemic regulation of the prevention and suppression of violence against women. The projects completed through the co-funding of non-governmental organisations contrib- uted to better comprehensive treatment of women who have experienced violence and of perpetrators of violence; projects to expand the networks of crisis centres, maternity homes and safe houses were also carried out. The capacities for sheltering victims of family violence were increased. Activities in the area of the prevention and response to violence against women included awareness campaigns targeted at the professional and general public. Assistance programmes for victims and education and training courses for police, social work centres, non-govern- mental organisations, teachers and school counsellors dealing with various forms of violence against women (family violence, sexual violence, trafficking in human beings) contributed to better and more efficient work with female victims of violence. Besides the key institutions responsible, such as the MDDSZ, MNZ-P and MIZŠ, the participation of non-governmental organisations played a very important role in these activities. These activities contributed to- wards improving the framework governing the treatment of women who have experienced vio- lence and of perpetrators of violence, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable groups and strengthening inter-ministerial and interdisciplinary cooperation. Studies and analyses were carried out on the impacts of the legislation on the work of institutions dealing with vio- lence and on the incidence of violence in the private sphere and in relationships; they showed that the number of cases of family violence detected, identified and dealt with by institutions is on the increase. The focus placed on different target groups (girls and boys, young women and men, women with physical impairments, older women and men, mentally challenged persons, etc.) contrib- uted to the improved treatment of women who have experienced violence and more effective responses to their needs. 65 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 The skills, competencies and sensitivity of professionals, police officers and other staff engaged in violence prevention and dealing with women who have experienced violence and with perpetrators of violence have been strengthened through relevant training programmes and projects. The awareness-raising activities regarding the issue of violence against women tar- geted at the general public contributed to increased knowledge of various aspects of this form of violence. In the area of education, curricula addressing themes related to the prevention of violence and non-violent conflict resolution were developed and included in the further training and education of professionals. Activities aimed at preventing trafficking in human beings and sexual violence, as defined in the Action Plan of the Interministerial Working Group for Combating Trafficking in Human Be- ings, were carried out and contributed to improving the regulatory framework for preventing trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation, including prostitution and pornography. Specific projects in this area, such as training programmes for police officers and teaching staff, contributed to better information and awareness of the issue of trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation, including prostitution and pornography. Specific programmes to identify and help victims of trafficking in human beings and sexual violence, including pro- grammes for the reintegration of victims of trafficking in human beings, were also carried out. The MDDSZ and MNZ financed programmes for the care of victims of trafficking that were car- ried out by two non-governmental organisations. The programmes for informing and raising awareness of sexual violence among various target groups and the programmes providing psychosocial assistance to victims and perpetrators of sexual violence contributed to a better framework for addressing cases of sexual violence, strengthening intersectoral and interdisciplinary cooperation, and zero tolerance of sexual violence. Key challenges and orientations under the new National Programme 2015–2020 A new Resolution on the National Programme addressing the prevention of family violence and violence against women is being drafted; this strategic document is based on the Family Vio- lence Prevention Act, which defines the objectives, measures and key policy operators for the prevention and reduction of family violence in the Republic of Slovenia. The particular tasks and activities needed to achieve the objectives and implement particular measures will be de- fined in biannual action plans, which will specify the time limits and implementation methods. In the 2014–2020 period, the activities under the action plans will be carried out in order to link the measures of various sectors and to provide for effective activities aimed at reducing family violence at the level of its identification and prevention. Awareness of violence against women in the domestic environment and relationships and the increased sensitivity of the neighbourhood and wider society as regards violence in the private sphere are essential for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence; therefore we will continue to carry out these activities. Training programmes for professionals dealing with domestic and sexual violence against women will continue (the police, the judiciary, the edu- cational system). In order to achieve the objective of zero tolerance of violence, awareness- raising and information campaigns aimed at the general public will be carried out; various top- ics, such as the unacceptability of violence, non-violent methods of conflict resolution, respect for human rights and the development of personal and social values, will be included in the regular school programmes. Activities aimed at preventing trafficking in human beings and sexual violence, as defined in the action plans of the Interministerial Working Group for Combating Trafficking in Human Be- ings, will be carried out. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 66 2.7.2 Objectives and measures I. ZERO-TOLERANCE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Objective 1: To reduce the incidence of violence against women Status: In the period from 2008 to 2011, the first national survey on violence in private life and rela- tionships entitled “The Extent and Responsiveness to Violence in the Domestic Sphere and in Partnerships” was carried out. The data on violence were collected from a representative sam- ple of women aged between 18 and 80 years. According to the survey, every second woman (56.6%) has experienced at least one form of violence since turning 15. They most frequently experienced psychological violence (49.3%), followed by physical (23%) and property-related violence (14.1%), limitation of movement (13.9%), and sexual violence (6.5%). Most women who experienced violence in the previous year were faced with psychological violence (49.9%) and a smaller share with physical (5.9%), sexual (1.5%), or property-related violence (7%), or the restriction of movement (6.1%). Excluding psychological violence, every fifth woman experienced at least one of the aforementioned forms of violence in the previous year. The survey also revealed that women experiencing violence are less healthy than women in the general population. They more often suffer from stress, anxiety, digestive problems, loss of appetite, stomach problems, headache, sleep disorders, poor concentration, etc. An analysis of the restraining orders issued by the police in the 2005–2010 period was also carried out and showed that as many as 97% of perpetrators were men, while the greatest share of the vic- tims were wives and female cohabiting partners (48%); perpetrators were also found among parents (19%), minor children (15%), ex-partners (7%), adult children (5%), and other rela- tives (6%). Police issued restraining orders due to psychological violence (various forms of threat) not accompanied by physical violence in 28% of the cases. Measures: – the implementation of activities and projects to promote gender equality, raise awareness and provide information about violence against women, specifically violence against women in a domestic environment and relationships, trafficking in women and sexual violence, with particular attention and sensitivity devoted to vulnerable and/or excluded groups of women; – implementation and support for training programmes for professional staff in various organ- isations engaged in the area of the prevention of violence and dealing with women who have experienced violence and with perpetrators of acts of violence; – the provision of coherent and internationally comparable data by sex. Indicators: – the number of activities and projects to raise awareness and provide information on vio- lence against women; – the number and scope of training courses carried out and the number of participating pro- fessional staff from different organisations, by sex; – statistical data on violent criminal offences, by sex. Institutions responsible: MDDSZ, MP Participating authorities: MNZ-P 67 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. 2.8 GENDER EQUALITY IN FOREIGN POLICY AND INTER- NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION 2.8.1 Situation, trends and challenges International activities of the Republic of Slovenia to empower women and realise gender equality objectives Despite numerous international agreements and the significant progress made to date, women throughout the world are still confronted with discrimination, violence and unequal opportuni- ties for education and participation in social and economic life. Human rights protection and promotion represent an important segment of the foreign policy of the Republic of Slovenia and its efforts at the bilateral and multilateral levels aimed at en- suring gender equality and empowering women take many forms. Slovenia closely monitors these topics within all relevant international forums and, in cooperation with other like-minded countries, draws attention to the inclusion of particular gender equality issues in resolutions, declarations and action plans and also to their consideration in the drafting of various interna- tional legal instruments. Within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights, a mechanism en- abling a periodic four-year cycle review of the human rights performance of all UN Member States, Slovenia regularly addresses the issues of gender equality and the empowerment of women through an interactive dialogue with the State under review. Being an EU Member State, Slovenia participates in shaping the Common Foreign and Secu- rity Policy of the EU, of which the promotion and protection of human rights is an important part. The EU implements this policy on the basis of the EU guidelines, through dialogue and in consultation with non-EU countries, by anchoring human rights in other areas of foreign policy and through activities in international forums, primarily the UN Council for Human Rights and the Third Committee of the General Assembly of the UN. The EU guidelines on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them indicate that the EU’s priority is focused on the issue of violence against women and girls, which is among the major human rights violations in the world today. Gender equality and the empowerment of women are placed high on the international devel- opment cooperation agenda as they have been found to be the key to achieving international development objectives, including the millennium development goals (MDGs). They form the foundation of respect for human rights and ensuring social justice. The economic and political empowerment of women is not only a driving force in the implementation of gender equality, it is also the basis for economic growth and the reduction of poverty. Women play a crucial role in promoting sustainable development in all societies and advocate peace and democracy, particu- larly in conflict and post-conflict situations. Gender equality and the empowerment of women will be important new elements of the post-2015 agenda, and are also an important cross- cutting theme of the EU’s international development cooperation. The EU remains committed to more rapid achievement of the millennium development goals, and to helping attain the stan- dards set by the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as the objectives of the Beijing Platform of Action, and the Cairo Programme of Action. Numerous adopted documents bind the EU to include a strong gender equality component in Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 68 all its policies, practices and relations with developing countries. Many documents aimed at strengthening the role of women in development have also been adopted in the framework of the OECD. International development cooperation is among the priority orientations of Slovenia’s foreign policy. Slovenia actively participates in the discussions and formulation of international devel- opment cooperation policies within the framework of international organisations and forums. In the preparations for the post-2015 agenda negotiations, Slovenia highlighted the impor- tance of including gender equality and the empowerment of women as distinct objectives, while also treating them as a cross-cutting theme. The framework programme of international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance of the Republic of Slovenia places the empowerment of women and care for the well-being of children among the three thematic pri- ority areas of development cooperation. Accordingly, Slovenia will endeavour to allocate part of the funds for international development cooperation to activities and projects significantly contributing to the empowerment of women and the improvement of their economic and social situation, in particular in partner countries. The basic principles and values underlying Slovenia’s participation in international operations and missions include the strengthening of democracy and respect for human rights and fun- damental freedoms, as well as the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The different roles of men and women associated with armed conflicts require all who strive for peaceful solutions to apply diverse approaches before, during and after conflicts; to this end, the planned promotion of a culture of peace and the principle of gender equality is required. The underlying principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 acknowledge that women are no longer identified only as victims but are also given a significant role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, in peace negotiations, peace operations and missions, humanitarian activities and activities in post-conflict periods. Basic trends during the period of the previous National Programme The topic of gender equality has always been included in Slovenia’s foreign policy activities and firmly pursued at the multilateral level. The involvement and participation of various interna- tional institutions in numerous international events and working groups has improved Slove- nia’s image as an active advocate of the empowerment of women and gender equality issues. Accordingly, Slovenia was also actively engaged in promoting the empowerment of women and gender equality in the context of conflict prevention and resolution and post-conflict recon- struction aimed at protecting women and girls in vulnerable populations. In the 2005–2013 period, there were 95 male and 12 female (12.6%) police officers deployed in international civil missions. From 2005 to 2014, there were 4,541 male and 352 female (7.75%) Slovenian Armed Forces service members deployed in international peacekeeping operations and missions. In line with the commitments undertaken, the MZZ allocated a portion of international devel- opment cooperation funds to topics and projects to empower women and improve their status. In the 2010–2014 period, funding for 29 projects (16 in the Western Balkans, 11 in Africa and 2 in Afghanistan) totalling EUR 1,082,856 was provided by the MZZ from resources allocated for international development cooperation. Activities carried out and progress achieved in the period of the previous National Programme Slovenia actively promoted gender mainstreaming through the UN architecture and advocated the creation of a new UN mechanism for promoting gender equality in national legislations. 69 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 It played an important role in setting up the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and in Practice (2010), and organised an international conference on gender equality (2010) intended to contribute to the discussions at the UN Hu- man Rights Council on the new mechanism to promote gender equality in national legislations and its implementation. Slovenia also actively supported the establishment of a UN agency for women, i.e. UN Women. The establishment of a UN body for gender equality and the empowerment of women is an important achievement related to the institutional arrangement of this area. UN Women has become the central UN body created to help countries develop and implement standards (pro- viding technical and financial support, if needed), to support inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms, and to lead and coordinate the UN’s system of work in the field of gender equality. On the proposal of the MZZ and in close cooperation with other ministries, primarily the MO, MNZ, MP, MZ, MDDSZ and UEM, a national action plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and 1820 on women, peace and security in the 2010–2015 period was adopted in 2010. In line with the commitments under the aforementioned action plan, Slovenia promoted gender equality and protection of the rights of women at various events within the framework of the UN (General Assembly, UN Council, UNHRC and Security Council), NATO and the OSCE. Slo- venia sponsored the UN Security Council resolution on women, peace and security and joined the activities aimed at ending sexual violence in conflicts. Throughout the period, the MZZ endeavoured to address the gender aspect and highlight the significance of the participation of women in all events they organised. In cooperation with the Embassy of Chile, the MZZ organised a round table on violence against women, which also in- cluded the gender aspect in the context of armed conflicts; on the margins of the 58th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and in cooperation with Argentina and three civil society organisations, the MZZ hosted an event entitled Older Women Count: Addressing Gender Equality through Life-Cycles in the Post-2015 Strategy; a panel discussion on interna- tional criminal justice held within the 8th Bled Strategic Forum 2013 also addressed the issue of violence against women. Slovenia’s priorities also focus on the significance of mediation and the role of women therein. Within the Initiative on Mediation in the Mediterranean Region, a seminar entitled “Promoting a Culture of Mediation and Prevention in the Mediterranean” was organised in March 2014 and also included a discussion on strengthening the role of women in mediation. As regards gender equality and the empowerment of women, Slovenia actively participated in the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals. It advocated the formulation of a separate objective regarding gender equality and the empowerment of women within the post-2015 agenda. Slovenia also supported the inclusion of a gender equality aspect in the sub-objectives and indicators under the relevant objectives. It was among the hosts of a side event organised on the margins of a meeting of the International Commission on Population and Development. Membership of a female Slovene expert in the UN Committee for the Elimination of Discrimina- tion against Women (CEDAW) in the 2007–2014 period contributed to the visibility of Slovenia in the area of gender equality and the empowerment of women. In the past, Slovenia provided financial contributions for the operations of UN funds and bod- ies engaged in the field of gender equality and the protection of women’s rights, in particular UN Women and its predecessors, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTFEVAW). Slovenia’s contribution Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 70 for 2011 (UNIFEM) was aimed at supporting the establishment of centres providing assistance to women victims of violence in Afghanistan. In 2012, the MZZ co-funded the work of UN vol- unteers in Cape Verde to promote gender equality and care for the environment. In the past, Slovenia provided financial contributions for the operations of UN funds and bodies engaged in the field of gender equality and the protection of women’s rights, in particular UN Women and its predecessors, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTFEVAW). The MZZ co-funded various international development cooperation projects aimed at empow- ering women (in the Western Balkans, Africa and Central Asia), which addressed the issues of the low employment rate of women, their economic dependence, unemployment and poor awareness of the rights related to violence and reproductive health; projects also focused on developing practical skills and knowledge. Slovenia is very active within the EU. During Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency an EU publica- tion on key international documents concerning human rights relevant for common European security and defence policy was issued and a study of the EU development policy regarding women in armed conflicts was drawn up. Slovenia also continued its activities focused on women, peace and security. Throughout the period and in line with the commitments under the Action Plan for the Implementation of UN Resolutions 1325 and 1820 on Women, Peace and Security, Slovenia promoted gender equality and the protection of the rights of women at various events within the framework of the UN (General Assembly, UN Council, UNHRC and Security Council), NATO and the OSCE. It signed the declaration to end sexual violence in armed conflicts (2013). Slovenia tabled initiatives and proposals and thus actively participated in the work of the Euro- pean Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), primarily through membership in the Management Board, an expert forum and various working groups. Key challenges and orientations in the period of the new National Programme 2015–2020 Despite the numerous efforts to achieve progress in the area of gender equality, the uneven distribution of power, resources and opportunities leading to further gender inequality persist at the national and international levels. In this context, the need to comprehensively and co- hesively link national and international gender equality policies is all the more important. Close ties between the national and global level are a logical extension of the horizontal approach to gender equality policy that provides for the coordination of different Slovenian activities ensur- ing the effectiveness of Slovenian policies, leading to improving Slovenia’s international repu- tation and credibility and offering more opportunities to Slovenia and various stake-holders in the long term. The promotion and protection of human rights are among the pillars of Slovenian foreign policy. The priority orientations focus on the rights and empowerment of women and protection of the rights of vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, minorities and people with disabili- ties. These topics were included in the voluntary commitments made by Slovenia in its appli- cation for membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council for the period 2016–2018. Within the context of international dialogue on gender equality and the empowerment of women, Slovenia will continue to support gender mainstreaming in the work of international organisations and various international documents. Slovenia will actively participate in the discussions and formulation of international develop- ment cooperation policies within the framework of international organisations and forums. The 71 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 priority agenda will also include respect for the human rights of women and children and the empowerment of women. Slovenia will make every effort to increase the percentage of official development aid devoted to international development cooperation projects and programmes in the field of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Discussions on the formation of a new development agenda basically stem from the need to replace the millennium development goals ending in 2015. In 2014, the MZZ initiated prepara- tions for negotiations on the post-2015 agenda. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia took note of the framework position of the Republic of Slovenia for the intergovernmental process to define the post-2015 agenda that provides the basis for the Slovenian delegation’s activities in the post-2015 agenda negotiations and will be amended in line with the ongoing discussions in the international community. Within the intergovernmental process, Slovenia’s activities will be grounded in a human rights approach and will focus on the elimination of pov- erty and the implementation of sustainable development. Gender equality and the empower- ment of women are among the substantive priority areas. Through its international activities, Slovenia will promote the integration of cross-cutting themes, including gender equality, the empowerment of women and the equal treatment principle. The priority areas include: the consideration of gender in drawing up international documents and adherence to the adopted common norms; the prevention of all forms of violence against girls and women at various stages of life, including the elimination of harmful traditional practices, such as child, early and forced marriages; the empowerment and education of women and girls, including education on human rights; the promotion of economic independence (employment, decent work, equal pay for equal work) and the elimination of poverty; the inclusion in decision- making processes in politics, economy and public life; the fight against all forms of discrimina- tion in legislation and in practice; the participation of men and boys in the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls; guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the provision of quality and universally accessible reproductive and sexual health services; the protection of women in conflicts, also against sexual violence, and promo- tion of the participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. 2.8.2 Objectives and measures I. GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVES Objective 1: To increase Slovenia’s visibility as an initiator and promoter of ideas and projects related to gender equality at bilateral and multilateral levels Status: Slovenia is renowned internationally for its engagement in the area of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Several initiatives to strengthen this area in the international com- munity were successfully implemented, primarily at the multilateral level. Slovenia organised international events and took an active part in international discussions. Measures: – support for efforts focused on gender equality and the empowerment of women at the in- ternational level, including the organisation of events and leadership of initiatives; – promotion of the participation of Slovenian experts in relevant international bodies. Indicators: – the number of organised events and initiatives; Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 72 – the number of national statements delivered at international forums per year; – the membership of Slovenian experts in relevant international bodies. Institutions responsible: MZZ, MDDSZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. II. DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE Objective 1: To empower women in developing countries and improve their social and economic situation Status: The economic empowerment of women aimed at ensuring gender equality and protecting the rights of women is among the most important themes in public calls for proposals for projects in the area of international development cooperation and humanitarian aid. Five projects to empower women (in Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia) aimed at promoting the role of women and strengthening their economic independence were selected in public calls for proposals for international development cooperation and humanitarian aid in the Western Balkans, issued at the end of 2013. The projects that Slovenia carries out in Africa (in Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone) involve educa- tion, training and awareness-raising, facilitating the employment of women and ensuring them earnings and improved living conditions, thus promoting gender equality and the protection of rights and consequently the political empowerment of women. Measures: – the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in developing countries through public calls for proposals for international development cooperation; – support for gender equality and the empowerment of women in international strategic and implementing documents that enhance this area in developing countries; – the allocation of a substantial portion of funds for international development cooperation to activities and projects significantly contributing to the empowerment of women and the improvement of their economic and social situation. Indicators: – the number of bilateral projects realised aimed at promoting gender equality and the em- powerment of women; – the share of funds for international development cooperation allocated for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in partner countries. Institutions responsible: MZZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. III. MAINTAINING AND BUILDING PEACE Objective 1: To strengthen the role of women in ensuring international peace and security and to protect women in conflict situations 73 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020 Status: Slovenia has also been actively engaged and visible in the area of women, peace and security. As mentioned in the above subchapters, several activities to strengthen this area have been successfully completed internationally, primarily at the multilateral level. Slovenia organised international events and took an active part in international discussions. Measures: – gender mainstreaming in policies aimed at conflict prevention and resolution; – increased involvement of women in international operations and missions for maintaining and building peace and in decision-making processes and actions; – the prevention of sexual violence against girls and women and their protection during and after armed conflicts. Indicators: – participation in various initiatives and actions related to gender mainstreaming in policies aimed at conflict prevention and resolution, primarily within the UN, NATO, EU and OSCE; – the share of women participating in international operations and missions and in decision- making processes and actions; – the number of events, involvement in the prevention of sexual violence in conflicts and in the protection of women and girls during and after armed conflicts. Institutions responsible: MZZ Participating authorities: MO, MNZ Funding: Funding will be provided within the limits of the available budget of the Republic of Slovenia. Equal opportunities for women and men policy objectives and measures 74 3. INDICATORS OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND MEN The indicators to monitor the implementation of individual measures aimed at achieving the objectives of the policy of equal opportunities for women and men during the implementation of the National Programme from 2015 to 2020 are specified for all areas covered therein. Along with the indicators for monitoring the implementation of the policy of equal opportunities for women and men specified in the National Programme, detailed and systematic monitoring of the status of women and men in social and private spheres and of the relevant changes is also required. The indicators of the status of women and men in particular areas are monitored on the basis of the national databases and/or indicators adopted by the European Union, to which the national data collection system is to be adapted. Presented hereinafter are the indicators for monitoring the status of women and men in all ar- eas of the National Programme in respect of which objectives and measures for ensuring equal opportunities for women and men are defined. Equal economic independence The employment rate by sex and age group The employment rate by number and age of children The average hours usually and actually worked per week by employed persons, by sex The part-time employment rate by sex and age group The fixed-term employment rate by sex and age group The employment rate of persons with tertiary education, by sex and age group The self-employment rate by sex The early-stage entrepreneurial activity rate by sex The number and share of women among employed persons with disabilities The employment rate of foreign citizens, by sex The unemployment rate by sex and age group Persons in employment by main occupational group The share of women among the population in employment by economic activity Gender pay gap Reconciliation of work and private or family life The number of hours spent on childcare by employed persons, by sex The number of hours spent on household chores and cooking by employed persons The number of fathers taking paternity leave The share of fathers taking parental leave The share of fathers working part-time due to parenting The share of men taking sick leave to care for a family member A knowledge-based society without gender stereotypes The share of early school leavers by sex The share of people with tertiary education in the 30–34 age group, by sex The share of female students in vocational and upper secondary education by field of study The share of female tertiary education graduates by field of study The share of male tertiary students The share of male tertiary education graduates The share of female doctoral graduates Indicators of the status of women and men 75 The share of female researchers The share of women in leading research positions The share of female full professors Social inclusion The at-risk-of-poverty rate, by sex and age group The at-risk-of-poverty rate by activity status, by sex The at-risk-of-poverty rate by household type The material deprivation rate by sex The number of social assistance benefit recipients The at-risk-of-poverty rate among foreign nationals The health of women and men Life expectancy at birth by sex Healthy life expectancy by sex Population morbidity by type of disease and sex Population mortality by cause of death and sex Morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer The fertility rate The maternal mortality rate The stillborn rate The perinatal mortality rate The legal abortion rate by age group Use of contraceptives by type of contraception and age Registered cases of sexually transmitted diseases by sex and age The number of suicides by sex and age Balanced representation of women and men in decision-making positions The share of women in the National Assembly The share of women in the National Council The share of female ministers and state secretaries The share of female local community and municipal councillors The share of female mayors The share of female judges The share of female prosecutors The share of women in decision-making positions in the economy, particularly executive and non-executive directors in large companies The share of female deans The share of female members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts The share of women in management positions in education and research institutions The share of women in management positions in national sports organisations The share of women in management positions in media The share of women in management positions in cultural institutions Violence against women Criminal offences against life and limb and the share of women victims The number of minor offences against public order and peace, the number and share of female victims, the number and share of minor offences involving family violence Gender equality in foreign policy and international cooperation The share of female diplomats The share of women participating in international operations and missions and in decision-mak- ing processes and actions 76 Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015–2020