Ombudsman on military deadline: Benefits discriminate against women, the law must be the same for all
Gender Equality Ombudsman Višnja Ljubičić participates in a public consultation on the amendments to the Defense Act and will soon officially give her opinion, but she has already said that this kind of solution is not going through.
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All about the military deadline: how long, what pays for it and who will not call it. This need to know future conscripts
– Just because the law distinguishes women and men, it does not automatically mean that it is discrimination. But here it is. Why? Because men who will have to have mandatory military training are entitled to certain benefits, while women will not have the same opportunity because there is no military obligation for them. This is called indirect discrimination, which is prohibited by Croatian law. It’s not logical, it’s not fair, and it’s not legal – they say from the Ombudsman’s Office.
In addition, the Ombudsman’s office considers that it is not honest or what the law discriminates against those who refer to the conscience’s appeal. This could be a violation of the right to freedom of opinion, but it will check the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman for Gender Equality is therefore asking for or that everyone goes to military training – both men and women – or that no one gets benefits.
– We cannot support the law that women puts in a disadvantage. If something has to be mandatory, then it makes no sense to further reward those who have to do it anyway. The decision is now on the legislator – they say.
