Media presentation of the first female General officer of the Croatian Armed Forces

Along with Brig. Gen. Garašić, the conference was attended by the Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Drago Lovrić.

“I am glad to present Gordana Garašić, the first female officer of the Croatian Armed Forces assigned to a general post in ISAF in the quality of Gender Advisor to the ISAF Commander”, said Minister Kotromanović. «It is a highly demanding duty, which Brig. Gen. Garašić will be exercising for nine months». Minister also added that six percent women occupy the managerial or command duties in the Croatian Armed Forces and 40% the senior official duties in the Ministry, placing Croatia among the top NATO nations.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Drago Lovrić congratulated Gordana Garašić on the promotion. “The Croatian Armed Forces are among the few ones in NATO to have a female general officer, which speaks of the due attention showed by the Crroatian Armed Forces to the matter of equal opportunity. There are presently seven female officers in the rank of Colonel, qualifying for promotion as Generals in the future”.

“This is a great honour for me and the Croatian Armed Forces, to assign an officer to a general post, after 11 years of service in Afghanistan»,stated Brigadier General Gordana Garašić, who is to serve as Gender Advisor until the end of 2014 and the termination of ISAF”. By appointing a Gender Advisor to its commands NATO intends to invest significant efforts into the training and sensibilisation of the Afghanistan National Security Force members and representatives of Afghan authorities on the equality of women and their adequacy for military and police service», concluded Brig. Gen. Garašić.

The President of the Republic as Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces, Ivo Josipović on 2 April 2014 signed the Decision on Granting the Temporary Rank of Brigadier General to Colonel Gordana Garašić to allow her to exercise the one-star general duty of Gender Advisor in ISAF Command.