Effective Implementation of the EU Sex Equality Acquis

1. Effective Implementation of the EU Sex Equality Acquis Goran Selanec, S.J.D. Deputy Ombuds for Sex Equality Republic of Croatia

2. Croatian Experience: Positive Lessons • 2003 (2008) Sex Equality Act • integrated source of antidiscrimination gurantees • direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, sexual harrasment, encitment, redistribution of the burden of proof • duty of consistent interpretation • sex, sexual orintation pregnancy, family status, • far-reaching scope of application • all areas of life • beyond EU requirments: labour market, education, media, politics, • statistics • positive measures system • institutional monitoring/implementation framework • Government’s Office for Sex Equality • policy making, awareness raising, research/analytical tasks, administrative coordination • Administrative coordinators • County Sex Equality Commissions • Independent Antidiscrimination Body – Sex Equality Ombudsperson • monitoring, reporting, enforcement powers

3. Croatian Experience: Positive Lessons • Ombudsperson for Sex Equality • Directive 2006/54 Equality Body • Intelectual capacity + special enforcment • individual complains – direct enforcement • Far-reaching probing powers • Soft (authority based) sanctions • monitoring/investigating powers • labour market, media, education, judicial practices, access to social/health services • gender related violence • violence against women • family violence • violence against LGBT citizens • reporting duties • annual report • awareness raising mechanism • litigating powers • interveners, class-action • Interveners in 6 judicial procedures • doctrine development role

4. Croatian Experience: Not so Positive Lessons • lack of Effective Judicial Protection • special antidiscrimination court procedures • cross-regional model • special antidiscrimination petitions • special procedural rules • interveners / class-action • lack of doctrinal harmonization • judicial misconstruing antidiscrimination guarantees • narrow prejudice-based conception of direct discrimination • neutralization of sexual harassment • reversal of the reversal of burden of proof • complete absence of indirect discrimination cases • lack of effective legal counseling support • inadequate expertise • poor financial support for legal services • inadequate NGO support • absence of strategic litigation

5. Croatian Experience: Not so Positive Lessons • Lack of Actual Political Will • ineffective system of positive measures • constant underrepresentation of women in political decision-making bodies • Government maneuver circumventing election list quotas duties for political parties • bellow average representation of women in decision making bodies of state controlled economic enterprises

6. Croatian Experience: Not so Positive Lessons • Education • profound absence of gender sensitive contents in educational curricula at all levels • open hostility to “critical” gender studies • absence of antidiscrimination/human rights training in legal education • university level • practical legal training • judicial academy • bar association training

7. Croatian Experience: Some Lessons Learned? • questionable effectiveness of the existing harmonization model • characteristics of desirable harmonization approach: • integrated and comprehensive legislation • clear transposition of antidiscrimination standards • strong positive action measure rules • decision-making bodies • clearly defined goals • balanced representation • pervasive sanctions • effective institutional framework • Independent Antidiscrimination Body • strong enforcement powers • key importance of intellectual capacity of competent sex equality institutions • proper funding • appropriate specially developed judicial processes • key importance of legal training • mandatory training for judiciary