About 30 years ago, issues related to family life included the employment of women and the consequences of their employment on the family. Today, the focus of democratic states has shifted to reconciling work and family life, along with gender roles in families and households, for both women and men. The progress of society as a whole relies on the richness of diversity, and this includes the participation of women, their potential, their knowledge and skills at all levels. The established way of perceiving gender roles in the private and business world is not sustainable, so a more equitable distribution of family and work responsibilities becomes our common and primary responsibility. There is no real equality between women and men, and it will not be as long as private obligations - care for the household, children and older family members - will be the sole or primary responsibility of the woman. We are witnessing the fact that women in the Republic of Croatia leave the private sphere of home and family and prove themselves in other areas of life, although they are still under represented in decision-making positions where important social, economic and political decisions are made, which needs to be changed.