Self-love – the most beautiful gift

Happy International Women's Day!

When Miley Cyrus released her single Flowers in 2023, she could not have imagined (or perhaps she could) that the song would become an anthem of sorts, celebrating female independence and self-confidence. Thanks to social media, this pop hit spread instantaneously, and many videos began to appear online in which women celebrated their strength, with the soundtrack being none other than this song. International Women's Day is celebrated every year to honour the achievements of women worldwide, which not only refers to their historical struggle for equality but also to the recognition of their own worth, regardless of who is (or isn't) beside them, just as this song suggests.

Therefore, dear ladies, on this International Women's Day, take the opportunity to treat yourselves. Every one of you knows what that means for you. No person is 'immune' to small acts of kindness, and you can be kind to yourself too. If sweet treats are your guilty pleasure, indulge yourself this weekend with some chocolate pralines, of which, according to provisional data, a total of 2 587 tonnes were produced in Croatia in 2023. Going out to a restaurant with your friends or loved one can also be a way to celebrate this day, but keep in mind that prices in restaurants and cafes in 2024 have increased by as much as 9.7% compared to the previous year. If cinema or theatre are more up your alley, they’re an excellent choice, and the data of 3.9 million cinema visitors in 2023 and 1.7 million theatregoers in the 2022/2023 season testify to the fact that you are not alone in that.

Maybe you've been eyeing a piece of clothing in the shop window for a while, and International Women's Day could be the day when you say - I deserve it! The good news is that women's clothing prices in 2024 have decreased by 0.3% compared to the previous year. Although the trend of less is more, or a natural look, has been increasingly cultivated in recent years, makeup and perfumes are to a greater or lesser extent found on the shelves of every woman's home. According to statistical data on foreign trade in goods, in 2023, we imported makeup worth 214.8 million euro, mostly from Germany, and perfumes worth 57.4 million euro, mostly from France.

Perhaps all you want is just a little break from doing household chores, which, according to the Time Use Survey data, women still perform to a slightly greater extent. In 2022, women devoted an average of 4 hours and 4 minutes per day to taking care of the household and family, while men did so for an average of 2 hours and 26 minutes. So, perhaps the ideal gift for this International Women's Day (but also for other days) could be to delegate your responsibilities to someone else, and, for example, use this time to visit one of the 1 872 libraries and borrow one of the 29.1 million books (as many as there were available in 2023), spending the day on some quality reading.

And who are the women in Croatia? According to the mid-2023 population estimate, there were a total of 2.0 million, making up 51.6% of the total population. The largest share was in the City of Zagreb (52.8%), while the smallest was in the Šibenik-Knin County (50.6%). The average age of women that year was 46.1 years, and an interesting fact is that the average age of a bride when entering her first marriage, as well as the average age of a mother at her first childbirth in 2023 were the same - 29.7 years. The largest number of women that year were employed in the Wholesale and retail trade activity, with 121.1 thousand of them, while the largest share of 88.3% was employed in the Manufacture of wearing apparel activity. Their average net earnings in 2023 amounted to 1 107 euro, which is 77 euro less than the average net earnings for men.
 
P.S. A small hint for men - if you decide to surprise the women in your life with flowers, you might also surprise them with a statistical fact that, from January to November 2024, according to provisional data, we imported as many as 14.5 million roses, mostly from the Netherlands.

Happy International Women's Day!
 

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