Women Of Croatia’s Homeland War

Today, 8 March, marks the International Women’s Day! May it be a happy one to all the women of the world and as far as Croatian women are concerned my mind is turned to those who endured and survived with dignity the most horrendous of fates a woman (a human being) can endure. I turn to and bow the women that stood out and stand out as heroines of a nation (independent Croatia) created despite the brutal aggression, rape, ethnic cleansing, genocide … that swept across Croatia in the early 1990’s with only one intent: eradicate Croat lives, humiliate Croat lives … just because they are Croat and want freedom from communist totalitarian regime!

I also turn to the many Croatian women who left their stamp of truth, freedom and dedication to independence in many ways during the years of Croatia’s Homeland War and beyond.

These women of modern-day Croatia are truly inspiring!

Mothers of those who gave their lives for Croatia’s freedom

Kata Soljic (Vukovar, 1922 – 2008): Fondly called as the mother of courage.

Kata Soljic

Kata Soljic (click on photo to enlarge)

I am Kata Soljic, a Croat, a mother from Vukovar. I am 79 years old, I gave birth to and reared six children, four sons and two daughters. My four sons and my son-in-law lost their lives in 1991 for freedom and for the defense of the Croatian Homeland from the Serb aggressor in this Homeland War. My four innocent brothers perished by the hands of the same enemy during World War II, and my husband survived by a miracle. I have not completed any schooling. I can barely sign my own name. Life has not caressed me. And, hence, I have learned and am still learning the highest of life’s lessons and that is the lesson of love and sacrifice for those close to me and for my family,”  (Kata Soljic, 2001)

Women who were at the forefront of caring for the wounded

Dr Vesna Bosanac, a paediatrician and the legendary medical director of Vukovar hospital during the Croatian Homeland War.

dr Vesna Bosanac

dr Vesna Bosanac (click on photo to enlarge)

A witness to Serb atrocities in Vukovar, a witness who invested all her human strength to save as many lives as humanly possible amidst the genocidal madness of Serb aggression (including by Serb-led Yugoslav People’s Army) in Vukovar 1991 that saw incessant artillery attacks, the destruction of ambulances, the killing of hospital staff and patients, and the wounding of doctors and nurses who were helping people wounded in the shelling and the massacre of more than 200 people that took place in November 1991 at nearby Ovcara farm.

According to data from the Vukovar Hospital, 3,470 wounded people were treated in the Vukovar Hospital during the Serbian military aggression on the town, and more than 2,500 operations were performed in the hospital at the time.

Women – Victims of war crime of rape

During the Serb aggression in 1990’s Croatia violating women became an open and widespread weapon of war of aggression. Sadly this war crime of rape had been ignored for many years, perpetrators walked the streets freely and victims suffered, dying a bit day in and day out. According to a Council of Europe, more than 20,000 women were raped during the Balkan conflict, and many of these occurred in Croatia, while others to the majority occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the victims being Bosniak (Muslim) and Croat women. Unfortunately, the horrors did not stop at rape. Of these women, most were gang-raped by Serb rebels or Serbs belonging to the Serb-led Yugoslav People’s Army, some were forced into sexual slavery and forced impregnated often by armies and paramilitary groups.

The silence regarding the widespread rape of Croat women during the war in Croatia lasted too long and some organisations claimed that rape did not occur. Marija Sliskovic has in the past few years courageously begun to point to the problem of war rape with her book “Women of Vukovar” (Žene Vukovara) and in her latest “Sunny” (Sunčica) in which she published testimonies of 14 raped women from Vukovar and one man. These efforts have received support from the Parliament, the President’s Office, and the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and other UN organisations. A rise in social compassion for the victims is evident, alongside a growing frustration that so much time that has passed without tangible remedies. The war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina brought the issue of rape to the forefront forcing international recognition of rape as a weapon of war and a violation on a multitude of levels. Despite this awareness and support the practice of ignoring rape or treating it as a last priority for prosecutors of war crimes still continues. The victims are still forced into fighting for justice at all levels and my admiration goes to them in endless bounds.
And so I pay tribute here to Marija Sliskovic, a tireless activist for the rights of rape victims in Croatia and some of the women who have had the courage to finally speak out about the horror of rape, that war crime perpetrated against them in the concentration camp during the war by Serbs:

Marija Sliskovic

Marija Sliskovic (click on photo to enlarge)

Ruzica Erdelji

Ruzica Erdelji (click on photo to enlarge)

Snjezana Maljak

Snjezana Maljak (click on photo to enlarge)

Durdica Pankas

Women who cared about the well-being of war-orphaned children

Ankica Tudjman

Ankica Tudjman (click on photo to enlarge)

Ankica Tudjman. The wife of Croatia’s first president, dr Franjo Tudjman, who from December 1991 championed the worldwide charitable action under the organisation “Save the Children of Croatia” (later re-named into Humanitarian Foundation for Children of Croatia) that sought sponsors for Croatian war-orphaned children. By December 1992 the action secured sponsorship (annual/monthly financial support via individual bank accounts set up for each orphan) for 2,160 children of killed Croatian Homeland War veterans. By 1996 the action had 4,319 children of killed veterans under its sponsorship program in addition to hundreds of children of 100% war-invalids. Her charity still goes strong today as she in her advanced age holds tight to her determination to help children in need for as long as she lives. I wish Ankica a very special day on this day of March the 8th!

23,080 Croat women who actively participated in the Homeland War, assisting in the defence against aggression

Croat women in Homeland War

Croat women in Homeland War (click photo to enlarge)

Many Croat women who worked tirelessly from the diaspora on humanitarian aid to Croatia and lobbying the world for Croatia’s independence

Croatian women rally against aggression  in Croatia - Sydney, Australia January 1993

Croatian women rally against aggression
in Croatia – Sydney, Australia January 1993 (click photo to enlarge)

Many women who worked as humanitarian aid workers caring for over 800,000 (Croat and Muslim) refugees in Croatia during the war under often dire, always treacherous and difficult circumstances.

1992 Croatia - Croat and Muslim refugees

1992 Croatia – Croat and Muslim refugees (click photo to enlarge)

November 1991 Croat refugees

November 1991 Croat refugees (click photo to enlarge)

Women who followed a career path that would enhance the path to Croatia’s democracy of tomorrow

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic (click photo to enlarge)

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic commenced her career for Croatia in wartime 1993 at the ministry of science and technology, then moved to foreign affairs office and was deputy minister then head of North America unit from where she went to Canada at the Croatian Embassy as adviser and minster adviser. In 2003 she was elected into the Croatian Parliament when she became Croatia’s minister of foreign affairs and European integration until 2008. From then until 2011 she was the Croatian Ambassador in Washington and from July 2011 the assistant secretary general of NATO for public diplomacy – I trust that Kolinda will be the first woman president of Croatia very soon, Certainly her career path and world diplomacy experience has provided just the right background to lead the modern Croatia into a full democracy. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)

Related Posts on rape as war crime:

http://inavukic.com/2012/03/07/international-womens-day-a-tribute-to-the-courage-of-croatian-women-victims-of-mass-rapes/

http://inavukic.com/2013/08/21/croatia-howling-for-rape-war-crimes-justice/

http://inavukic.com/2012/09/08/convicted-serb-rapists-from-vukovar-1991-flee-croatia/

http://inavukic.com/2013/05/03/croatia-stop-listening-to-serbia-listen-to-the-victims-of-her-aggression/

Croatia: Victory Remembers The Children

Within 72 hours Croatian, the swift and freedom loving military operation Storm had by 5 August 1995 liberated Croatian territory (about 25% of Croatia’s total territory), territory occupied by rebel Croatian Serbs with the help of Slobodan Milosevic’s Serbia for four years.

This year is the 18th anniversary of Operation Storm, of Croatia’s victory in the name of freedom and democracy.

Casualties of Croatia’s Homeland War – a snapshot:

Croats Killed: 15,970 (including 402 children/6,605 civilians) (source: Ivo Pilar Institute)

Croats Missing: 2,251 (currently the number in excess of 1,700 due to discoveries of mass graves in recent couple of years)

Croat Wounded and permanently disabled: 32, 249 (969 children/90 severely permanently disabled as result of wounds). Total number of wounded: 48,677

Croat Veteran suicides after the war: 2,283

Croat casualties from landmines left from war:  509 people killed and 1,466 injured

Orphaned Croat children through war (lost either both or one parent): 10,000

While Croatia celebrates today the glory of victory over evil thoughts of gratitude go to all those who lost their lives for this noble cause.

Let a special light shine upon memories of the innocent children who lost their lives in this brutal war of aggression and upon those who suffered trauma that will haunt them throughout their lives.  Let’s trust that all those individuals who perpetrated these horrible crimes will meet their deserved justice – soon.

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

Croats expelled from Vukovar Nov 1991

Croats expelled from Vukovar Nov 1991

10 000 children lost their parent/s in Croatia's Homeland War

10 000 children lost their parent/s in
Croatia’s Homeland War

Croat child refugee 1991 Photo: wikimedia

Croat child refugee 1991
Photo: wikimedia

Croatia December 1992

Croatia December 1992

Vukovar 1991

Vukovar 1991

Croatia Ilok near Vukovar Oct 1991

Croatia Ilok near Vukovar Oct 1991

Croatia Slavonski Brod May 1992 28 Croat children were killed in this town

Croatia Slavonski Brod May 1992
28 Croat children were killed in this town

Croatia Slavonski Brod 1992 funeral of killed children photo: Udruga Travnik

Croatia Slavonski Brod 1992 funeral of
killed children photo: Udruga Travnik

Croatia 1992 - amidst the devastation

Croatia 1992 – amidst the devastation

Croatia Slkavonski Brod - 1992 Yugoslav Army planes' indiscriminate bombing

Croatia Slkavonski Brod – 1992 Yugoslav Army planes’
indiscriminate bombing

Croatia 1995 - we remember! Photo: Moslavina Museum Kutina

Croatia 1995 – we remember!
Photo: Moslavina Museum Kutina

Croatia Skabrnje massacre victims - late 1991

Croatia Skabrnje massacre victims – late 1991

Croatia Slavonski Brod 1992 Children were killed brutally

Croatia Slavonski Brod 1992
Children were killed brutally

Croatia 1992 - wounded child  Photo: Tomas Samogyi

Croatia 1992 – wounded child
Photo: Tomas Samogyi

Croatia Slavonski Brod Tribute to fallen children

Croatia Slavonski Brod
Tribute to fallen children

Croatia Vukovar Nov 1991  Croats expelled from their homes by Serbs

Croatia Vukovar Nov 1991
Croats expelled from their homes by Serbs

Croatia Vukovar 1991 - at burial of murdered father Photo: Ron Haviv

Croatia Vukovar 1991 – at burial of murdered father
Photo: Ron Haviv

Croatia Vukovar 1991 - amidst death and destruction Photo: Christopher Morris

Croatia Vukovar 1991 – amidst death and destruction
Photo: Christopher Morris

Croatia Zagreb Dec 1991 - A Croat child farewells soldier father Photo: Jadran Mimica

Croatia Zagreb Dec 1991 – A Croat child farewells soldier father
Photo: Jadran Mimica

Croatia Vukovar 1991 - a collage of Serb brutality Photo: forum-net.hr

Croatia Vukovar 1991 – a collage of Serb brutality
Photo: forum-net.hr

Croatia Slavonski Brod May 2013 Children remember the children  Photo: soundset.hr

Croatia Slavonski Brod May 2013
Children remember the children Photo: soundset.hr

Croatian Homeland War Timeline Photo: illyria-proboards.com

Croatian Homeland War Timeline
Photo: illyria-proboards.com

In celebrating the victory of Operation Storm  Croatian National Bank issued a commemorative gold coin of featuring the town of Knin - "The Town of Croatian Kings" - all proceeds from the sale of  this coin went to the "Save the Children of Croatia" (Humanitarian Foundation For Children Of Croatia" Headed and founded by president Franjo Tudjman's wife Ankica Tudjman. Ankica Tudjman was the first person in the war of Croatia to dedicate  humanitarian efforts across the globe to aid Croatian war orphaned children.

In celebrating the victory of Operation Storm
Croatian National Bank issued 1995 a commemorative
gold coin of featuring the town of Knin – “The Town
of Croatian Kings” – all proceeds from the sale of
this coin went to the “Save the Children of Croatia”
(Humanitarian Foundation For Children Of Croatia)
Headed and founded by president Franjo Tudjman’s
wife Ankica Tudjman. Ankica Tudjman was the first
person in the war of Croatia to dedicate
humanitarian efforts across the globe to aid
Croatian war orphaned children.

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