Women's Network of Croatia members have recognised the need for sharing joint values and additional education of women joining women's groups. Thus, the Feminist Summer School project has been initiated. Organisational board, which at the moment, consists of members from CESI, Women's Room, Centre for Women's Studies and Centre for Women Rosa, organise once a year, started from 2001, Feminist Summer School. There are two groups of participants, beginners' group and advanced group. Advanced group are participants who attended Feminist Summer School last year.
Organisational board creates programme for each FLJuŠ and seminar topics include: History of Women's Organising in the Republic of Croatia, Feminism/ Feminisms, Gender / Identities, Sexuality, Women's Human Rights, Advocacy and Lobbying, Violence against Women, Women's Practice and Activism. Programme of the advanced group is envisaged to deepen understanding and give detail elaboration of the above mentioned issues (e.g. sexuality, body, prostitution, etc.). Seminar topics are presented in the form of workshops and lectures which have been led, besides the organisational board members, by various experts.
The fourth Summer Feminist School
The fourth Summer Feminist School was held in Stubičke toplice from 9 September till 1 October 2005. 29 participants attended school (members of Woman's Network of Croatia), 8 lecturers and 5 members of coordination team.
We worked in two groups (beginner's and advanced).
Beginner's group had standard program of introduction with basic concepts (group cohesion, basic aspects of feminism, the history of women's organizing in Croatia, gender and identities, women's human rights, violence against women, basics of counseling, sisterhood and solidarity, Women's Network of Croatia – information on work and activism).
The participants of advanced group worked on sexuality as a lead topic through workshops and lectures in group cohesion, body, sexual rights, women's sexuality, women's reproductive health, reproductive and sexual rights, sex education, sexual minorities, prostitution and activism.
Together with trainer Nera Komatrić, participants of advanced group prepared programmatic text for Women's Network of Croatia "The reasons and arguments against legalization of prostitution".
Atmosphere was excellent, motivational, full of positive energy and strength. Besides lectures and workshops we also had relaxed evenings, as well as two women's celebration followed with unforgettable Đuka's guitar.
On behalf of Coordination team I thank to all lecturers and participants of fourth Summer Feminist School for beautiful collaborative work, association and empowerment, and also to ours partner organization Kvinna till Kvinna for enabling Summer Feminist School in this year.
