Conferences, Institute of Sports Law, Sport Policies, and Sports Diplomacy

Conference Women, children and young people in sports – protection of elementary human rights was held on 29-05-2026

10.06.2026.

/ News / Conferences / Institute of Sports Law, Sport Policies, and Sports Diplomacy

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The traditional event, the 9th Rijeka Day of Sports Law, Sports Policies and Sports Diplomacy, was held at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka on Friday, May 29, 2026, with the International Scientific Conference “Women, Children and Youth in Sport – Protection of Elementary Human Rights“. The conference was organized by the Institute of Sports Law, Sports Policies and Sports Diplomacy of the Faculty of Law of the University of Rijeka and the Center for Sport of the University of Rijeka. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, the Ombudsman for Gender Equality, the Ombudsman for Children, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the City of Rijeka gave their auspices to the event, which was organised in partnership with the Croatian Olympic Committee and the association Sport&EU.

The welcoming remarks were given by: Deputy County Prefect of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Assoc. Prof. Robert Matić, Acting Head of the Administrative Department for Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of the City of Rijeka, Marija Japundža Broznić, Ombudsman for Gender Equality of the Republic of Croatia Višnja Ljubićić, Advisor to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children of the Republic of Croatia Danijela Žagar, Member of the Assembly of the Croatian Olympic Committee and President of the Commission for Gender Equality Morana Paliković Gruden, and, in the introduction, Assoc. Prof. Vanja Smokvina, Conference organizer and project head.

The following topics were presented at the conference:

• Protecting the Future: A Human Rights Framework for Female and Youth Athletes (Prof. Carmen Perez Gonzalez, University Carlos III, Madrid, YUFE)

• Motherhood in Professional Sports: An Achievable Dream? (Assoc. Prof. Sandra Winkler and Assoc. Prof. Vanja Smokvina, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law)

• Social Protection of Woman Athletes in European and National Context (Prof. Sandra Laleta and Assoc. Prof. Karla Kotulovski, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law)

• Motherhood on Timeout: Timing and Egg Freezing for Women in Sport (Assistant Helena Majer, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law)

• Child Sexual Abuse in Sports Settings: An Oxymoron Reality (Prof. Dalida Rittossa, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law)

• Chronological Age as a Hidden Barrier: Relative Age, Biological Maturity, and Invisible Discrimination in Youth Sport (Prof. Dražen Čular, University of Split, Faculty of Kinesiology)

• Children and e-sports with a special focus on children with disabilities (Prof. Iza Razija Mešević, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina & Prince Sultan University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

• Advancing Gender Equity in Sport: Policy Evolution, Governance Framework and Institutional Practice in European and Global Aquatics (Iva Varvodić, High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia, advisor)

A particularly attractive part of the conferencewas the round table entitled The right to maternity, healthcare and protection of female athletes and the preservation of the right to compete, which was attended by:

• Matea Parlov Koštro, winner of the first historic Croatian medal in the marathon (introductory video)

• Blanka Vlašić, multiple world and European champion and Olympic medalist (online)

• Barbara Đinović (ex Matić), Olympic champion from Paris 2024, world and European champion, president of the Croatian Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission

• Assoc. Prof. Tihana Nemčić Bojić, celebrated footballer, selector, TV commentator and scientist (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Kinesiology)

• Morana Paliković Gruden (president of the Croatian Olympic Committee Gender Equality Commission)

The conference was organised within the scope of the project „NEMUS: (In)visible minorities in sports: promoting equality, inclusion, rights and equity” (uniri-iz-25-113), funded by European Union – NextGenerationEU via the Croatian National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026, in conjunction with the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law Programme Financing. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

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