On October 28th 2011, the Croatian Parliament appointed Ms. Višnja Ljubičić as the new Ombudswoman for Gender Equality, the head of an independent body for elimination of discrimination based on sex, marital and family status and sexual orientation.

On October 31th 2019 The Croatian Parliament appointed Ms Višnja Ljubičić for the second 8 years long mandate as the Ombudsperon for Gender Equality.  

"My professional experience in the field of human rights includes nine years as the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality of the Republic of Croatia, ten years as an advisor and head of the Department in the Governmental Office for Human Rights. I was also responsible for the Protocol on Procedures in Hate Crime Cases within completion of measures in regards to Chapter 23 and Head of the Working Group for Estimating Projects of the Civil Society Organizations in Croatia on the position of the Governmental Office for Human Rights. I have been a member of many working groups (e.g.for drafting the National Strategy for Protection Against Domestic Violence and Protocol for Action in Cases of Domestic Violence; of the Working Group for drafting National Policy for Promotion of Gender Equality etc.). I also volunteered for the organization for Support and Education of Victims of Mobbing and for Transparency International Croatia."

Work experience:

Education and vocational training:

Professional experience

2001-2011

• Member of Croatian delegation on conferences and in work groups of European Commission OESS, UN, ECRI, TAIX;
• Responsible for the Protocol on Procedures in Hate Crime Cases within completion of measures in regards to Chapter 23;
• Head of the Working Group for Estimating Projects of the Civil Society Organizations in Croatia on the position of the Governmental Office for Human Rights;
• Member of the Working Group for drafting the National Strategy for Protection Against Domestic Violence and Protocol for Action in Cases of Domestic Violence;
• Member of the Working Group for drafting National Policy for Promotion of Gender Equality;
• Member of the Working Group for drafting National Program of Protection and Promotion of Human Rights 2008-2011
• Secretary-member of the Working Group for regulating rights for compensation for the time spent in concentration camps from 1941 till 1945 to the citizens of the Republic of Croatia;
• Member of the Working Group for drafting National Report on Implementation of Goals from Millennium Declaration of UN;
• Secretary-member of the Working Group for drafting National Strategy for Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination;
• Coordinator of the Working Group for drafting VI, VII and VIII report of the Republic of Croatia on implementation of UN Convention on Elimination of all forms of Racial discrimination/CERD;
• Lecturer/trainer of police officers in OESS/ODIHR “Program of training of police officers for combating hate crimes“ at the Police Academy;
• Lecturer on Diplomatic Academy;

2005-2006

• Coordinator and lecturer in: “Anti-discrimination“ and „Gender Equality“ on screening-bilateral meetings of the Croatian Government and European Commission for Chapter 19 – Social policy and employment
• Organizer and moderator of several conferences and round tables, for example: regional conference „Dangers from Pedophilia“, „Arguments  pro & contra legalization of prostitution“, "Status of Women in Religious Communities“ etc.

2003

• Leader/lecturer of educational workshops for high school students and teachers within the project "Education of Young People on Gender Equality“

• Leader/lecturer of workshops for high schools students and teachers within the project of the Governmental Office for Human Rights "Educating Young People on Reproductive Rights", “Prevention of Cervical Tumor and colposcopy“;
• Member of the Project Committee „Roma Women Can Do It“;

 2002

• Member of the Working Group for drafting the first Gender Equality Act (passed in 2003);
• Member of the Working Group for drafting first National Strategy for Combating Violence against Women;

1993-2001

• Military training through various support programs of the American army (violence against women in army basis, sexual harassment, leadership, managing conflict situations in army systems),

• Vocational visits to the American Ministry of Defense in Washington in regards to the development of the civil-military relationships of NATO association and countries of South East Europe;

• Implementation of the expert supervision of the expertise of army-disciplinary courts and prosecution offices in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Osijek,

• Lecturer on Croatian Military Academy in Zagreb within a seminar for education of active military personnel for personnel department of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia

Memberships

• Croatian Standards Institute – Technical Committee for Social Responsibility (since 2010);
• National Board of the Croatian Government for Education for Human Rights and Democratic Citizenship (2010-2011 - secretary);
• Interagency Expert Group for Monitoring Action Plans for Implementing the National Plan for Combating Discrimination for the Period 2008- 2013 (2010-2011, coordinator);
• Interagency Work Group for Monitoring Hate Crimes (2010-2011, coordinator);
• OESS/ODIHR Program to Combat Hate Crimes (2006-2010 – focal-point in Croatia);
• Governmental Committee for Human Rights  (member 2002-2004; 2004-2011 - secretary);
• Governmental Council for Children (2005);
• Governmental Commission for the Prevention of Behavioral Disorders in Children and Adolescents (2005-2011);

• Working Group for Women of the Working Community Alps-Adriatic (2003-2008 – representative of the Republic of Croatia);
• Working Group for Gender Equality of the Stability Pact (2001-2002 – representative of the
• Republic of Croatia);
• National Committee for International Humanitarian Law (2001);
• Institute of Public Law (2000);

Volunteer work:

2006-2010 – Organization for Support and Education of Victims of Mobbing
2004-2006 - Transparency International Croatia

Medals, ranks, commendations, letters of honor:

 
Foreign languages:

• English, fluently
• Latin, basic