A panel titled 'Women and the Church: Power, Experience, Dialogue' is taking place at the Cultural Information Center in Zagreb. This event has sparked controversy, with journalist Vlatka Kalinić warning that it may present a misleading image of women’s roles within the Church. The discussion is intended to explore the Church's role in perpetuating patriarchal values, the responsibility of public discourse regarding women, and the social relativization of violence against women, amidst growing conservatism and femicide rates.

The panel features speakers Lana Bobić, Greta Grakalić, and Arijana Lekić-Fridrih, moderated by Đurđica Čilić. The event aims to address the Catholic Church's and other religious institutions' treatment of issues related to women's oppression, exclusion, and violence. Kalinić criticizes not only the speakers’ backgrounds and motives but also questions the lack of representation of women's voices from within the Church itself at this significant discussion.

This panel follows a broader context of increasing debates about gender roles, religious authority, and how these intersect in contemporary Croatian society. As femicide rates rise, the urgency of addressing these issues within both public and ecclesiastical discourse is paramount. The panel could serve as a catalyst for deeper conversations and actions regarding women's rights and the Church's role in either supporting or challenging the societal status quo.