Women in Security and Defence Science in the Croatian Army

UN Security Council Resolution 1325 is the first official document on the position and role of women in armed conflicts, peace processes and activities related to peace and security. It marked a turning point in the direction of strengthening a comprehensive approach to security and opened the way for the realization of the specific contribution that women can and should make to world peace policy.The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia are an example of a modern military organization in which women participate equally. According to data from the Annual Report on Defence for 2022, 14% of the Armed Forces are women, more than the average of NATO member countries. However, only a small number of women are in leadership positions. The military organization is known for its strict hierarchical structure and rules of behaviour and communication. Throughout history, the military was primarily intended for men. Nevertheless, women fought for equality and today, in most armies of developed democratic countries, they have become part of military organizations.The aim of this paper is to investigate how many women are represented in the educational work of the Croatian Army, how many of them participate in the teaching of the undergraduate and graduate university programmes in military leadership and management and military engineering. In addition to the above, the paper will investigate how they are accepted among their male colleagues and how much easier/harder it is for them, due to their private obligations (motherhood), compared to their male colleagues.