UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 62) Slovenia is committed to women’s empowerment and gender equality both at the national and international levels. Slovenia’s national policy priorities are set in the Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015-2020. 25 Measures for the protection of women’s rights are more specifically determined in periodic plans. In 2018, the Government adopted the Report on the Implementation of the Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015-2020 for 2016 and 2017 and the Periodic Plan for 2018 and 2019.
Para 64) Slovenia promotes a balanced representation of both genders in leadership positions by carrying out regular activities focused on awareness-raising, provision of information and competence-building. Special attention is devoted to leadership positions in politics (particularly at the local level) and in business. Following the 2018 elections, women’s representation in the National Assembly dropped slightly, as only 24.4% of the elected deputies were female. The 2018 local elections saw an increase in female mayors (up to 10%) and female municipal councillors (up to 33%). Amendments to the Equal Opportunities for Women and Men Act are in preparation; these will legally introduce the principle of a minimum 40% representation of both genders in certain government bodies, self-governing local communities, and public law entities whose representatives are appointed by the Government or self-governing local communities.
Para 65) In Slovenia, the gender gap in average pay is among the lowest in Europe. It has been observed that the elements contributing to lower wages and pensions of women include different behavioural patterns throughout life. In 2019, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities launched the project “My work, my pension”, co-funded by the European Union. The purpose of the project is to develop awareness-raising tools in order to enable women and men to take better-informed decisions concerning their employment and vocation throughout their lives.

UN Compilation:
Para 25) … CEDAW was concerned about the disproportionately high unemployment rate among women.
Para 38) CEDAW was concerned about the occupational segregation in the labour market, the wage gap in traditionally female-dominated sectors and the limited access by women to skilled and better-paid jobs.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 40) OSCE/ODIHR reported that women comprised only 23 per cent in the newly elected National Assembly in 2018.

National Report:
Para 43) Within biannual action plans in accordance with the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2005-2013, Slovenia continued its endeavours to promote gender equality and stop discrimination against women.

Para 44) In cooperation with the relevant partners, the Government carried out activities aimed at increasing the number of women in top-level positions and in decision-making in business and their empowerment in science and research. Among other things, the OEO organised a conference on the role of management in shaping non-discriminatory policies, together with eliminating gender-based discrimination; it conducted a survey on gender balance in decision-making positions in the business sector, organised a press conference "Have we really tapped the full potential?", which focused on gender imbalance in decision-making positions, published a brochure under the same title, and cooperated with the Managers' Association - Women Managers' Section on drafting guidelines for encouraging equality in decision-making business positions.

Para 45) Legislation stipulating a minimum quota of women and men on candidate lists contributed to an increased share of women in political decision-making positions. A draft law amending the NA Elections Act is being considered; it envisages at least a 40% share of women and men on candidate lists and amends the rules on the composition of candidate lists. With the parliamentary elections on 4 December 2011, the share of women deputies increased considerably and women account for a third of all deputies in the NA. On 27 February 2013, a woman was elected Prime Minister for the first time.

Para 46) Following the 2010 local elections, the OEO commissioned an analysis to examine the impact of gender quotas on the electability of women. In the 2010 elections, 11.95% of women stood for mayor and 10 were elected (5%). The share of women on candidate lists for a seat on town and municipal councils has increased to 38%, with 23.26% having been elected. In areas where the Roma community autochthonously resides, one female councillor was elected among 18 Roma councillors. The OEO co-funded an analysis of the impact of electoral districts on the electability of women to the NA. In 2011, it organised a Mentoring Day with a Female Politician in cooperation with the Government, the NA and the universities of Ljubljana, Maribor and Primorska.

Para 47) Equal pay for women and men for equal work is guaranteed by the Employment Relationship Act, which also incorporates the relevant recommendations of the ILO. The Government did not adopt any particular measures to reduce the male-female income disparity, except for awareness rising on the persisting gender pay gap and its causes on the occasion of European Equal Pay Day. The 2012 data show that the average pay of women was 4.6% below the average pay of men, making it one of the smallest disparities in the EU.

Para 48) The prohibition of sexual harassment is regulated by the Employment Relationship Act. The Health and Safety at Work Act stipulates that at workplaces where there is higher risk of third-party violence, the employer must ensure a design and equipment of the workplace that reduces the risk of violence and allows assistance to be provided at the workplace under threat. Pursuant to the Decree on measures for protecting the worker's dignity at work in state administration, each authority must have at least one counsellor to provide information and assistance to victims.

Para 49) The Government pursues various activities to identify and eliminate stereotypes, particularly by organising consultations, training and seminars, by drafting analyses and studies on the division of power between women and men in different areas, by encouraging fathers to assume a more active role in child care and equal division of tasks within the family, as well as responsible partnership and parenting.

Para 50) Slovenia withdrew from the Night Work (Women) Convention, as the conditions are too limiting and imply discrimination. Despite the withdrawal, women workers will not remain without protection. The current legislation on night work guarantees special protection for night workers regardless of their gender and the tasks they perform.

UN Compilation:
Para 7) In 2011, the CEDAW noted the establishment, in 2010, of an inter-ministerial working group to prepare a comprehensive institutional arrangement for ensuring equality and protection from discrimination.

National Report:
Para 29) Since 2010, Slovenia signed and ratified the following international treaties:
CoE Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence; signed on 8 September 2011.

Para 73) In 2009, Slovenia adopted the Resolution on the 2009-2014 National Programme on Prevention of Family Violence (NPPFV). This strategic document sets out objectives, measures and key players to reduce and prevent domestic violence. The document aims to combine measures implemented by various ministries and provides for effective activities to reduce domestic violence, both in terms of identification and prevention. Therefore, the Resolution also provides for the implementation of a national awareness-raising campaign on the issue of violence and for reducing the extent of such deviant behaviour in every society. Rules were adopted in certain fields to implement the 2008 Family Violence Prevention Act (FVPA), effectively provide assistance to children and cooperate with other authorities.

Para 74) The two-year nation-wide awareness raising campaign "VESNA - to live a life free of violence" officially started on 7 March 2014 with a national conference. The target group is women of three generations (young women, adults and old women), for whom different, target-oriented activities have been envisaged. Activities are tailored to the needs and lifestyle of each target group.

Para 75) Several other sector-specific implementing acts on education, health care, social security, and the police have been passed to implement the FVPA, effectively provide assistance to children and cooperate with other authorities.

Para 76) The Slovenian Research Agency, the OEO and the MoI/Police co-financed the target research project "Violence and Responses to it in the Private Sphere and Partnerships". At the end of 2010, the results of the first empirical national research on violence in the private sphere and partnerships were published, and followed at the end of 2011 by analyses on the work of the Police, courts and social services concerning violence against women and domestic violence. The research has shown that the number of cases of domestic violence that are detected, identified and processed by institutions is increasing. This is also due to the implementation of legislation that both enables and imposes the obligation of institutions to provide effective assistance to victims and to prosecute offenders. In addition, the number of cases processed also increased as a result of the victims' increased willingness to seek help and the increased awareness and sensitivity of staff in institutions established to help such victims.

Para 77) Adopted in 2013, the Police Tasks and Powers Act significantly upgraded the police restraining order. Police officers may impose such a measure on the offender not only on the scene of the offence, but also immediately after the offender has been apprehended, regardless of location. An offender who has repeatedly violated a restraining order may be detained by the Police and, at the same time, a fine may be imposed. For the cases when the place that the offender must not approach is an education institution attended by a victim who is a child or a minor, the legal basis was added to inform the relevant personnel at the education institutions of the duration of the restraining order or other information vital to the protection of the victim.

Para 78) With a view to raising public awareness, the Police publish on its web page, in several foreign languages, information on domestic violence and on police procedures.

Para 79) Housing capacities for women victims of violence have increased. One of the safe houses has also been adapted for the needs of disabled persons. One crisis centre has been adapted for the needs of older people. The network of crisis centres and shelters expanded to regions in which such services were previously unavailable, and the housing capacities for victims of violence are currently provided for.

Para 80) NGOs caution about the changed criminal offence of threat under Article 135 of the Criminal Code, which stipulates that the threatening of the security of another person without any consequences and when only one person is involved is liable to private prosecution. This change was made particularly due to prosecutors' experience of a large number of withdrawn complaints of injured parties during the later stages of the procedure. The adequacy of this solution is being reviewed in 2014.

Para 81) The available statistics show the improved effectiveness of justice in terms of prosecutions and conviction related to the offence of domestic violence under Article 191 of the Criminal Code.

National Report:
Para 4) Several changes were introduced in the amended Criminal Code, which entered into force in May 2012, including revised definitions of the offences of ... trafficking in human beings (THB), the introduction of new offences of grooming persons under the age of 15 for sexual purposes, and intentional access to pornographic material by using information and communication technologies. Exploitation through prostitution has been defined as an aggravated offence in cases when the victim is a minor, and a more severe sentence is imposed for the abuse of minors in order to produce material of a pornographic nature or the use of minors in pornographic performances ...

Para 5) At the same time, the amended Criminal Procedure Act introduced a so-called preliminary hearing at which the defendant can enter into a plea bargain with the plaintiff and plead guilty. As a consequence, such proceedings are limited to a sentencing hearing, and the sentence may be reduced below the statutory minimum.

Para 6) In the reference period, legislative and policy activities related to preventing and combating THB were drafted in accordance with EU documents and guidelines. Article 113 of the Criminal Code which deals with THB was expanded to include a new mode of culpability. Apart from sexual exploitation, forced labour, enslavement and servitude, trafficking may also serve the purpose of the use of traded persons for the perpetration of offences (e.g. recruitment for street-theft). The first paragraph was amended to dispel any doubts as to whether THB with the consent of the injured person constitutes an offence. In the second paragraph, "giving or receiving payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person" was included as an aggravated form of this offence. A new third paragraph was added to Article 199 (Undeclared Employment), explicitly referring to the exploitation of victims of THB.

Para 29) Since 2010, Slovenia signed and ratified the following international treaties:
Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention); ratified on 26 September 2013, entered into force on 1 January 2014.

Para 83) The amended Criminal Code specified criminal offences against sexual integrity of children in more detail, including Article 175 (Exploitation through Prostitution) and Article 176 (Presentation, Manufacture, Possession and Distribution of Pornographic Material). The sentence was elevated to a maximum of eight years, and intentional access to child pornography by computerised means was criminalised. The amendment introduced a new Article 173 a (criminal offence of soliciting persons under 15 years for sexual purposes), which incriminated grooming.

Para 85) In 2011, as part of the e-Justice project and to implement draft Article 35 of the CoE Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) placed video conference equipment in 11 child-friendly interview rooms at social services. MoJ is preparing interdisciplinary training for experts on how to conduct interviews with children, including in the child-friendly interview rooms, by using video conference equipment.