Rada Borić
{{short description|Croatian feminist}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Rada Borić
| image = Rada Borić, M crop.jpg
| caption =
| office = Member of Parliament
| alongside =
| term_start = 22 July 2020
| term_end =
| deputy =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|09|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality =
| party = New Left {{small|(2016–present)}}
Možemo! {{small|(2023–present)}}
| otherparty =
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| alma_mater = University of Zagreb
| occupation =
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
Rada Borić (born 1951) is a Croatian politician, scholar, feminist, and women's rights activist. She is serving as a member of Croatian Parliament for the green-left We Can! party. She is one of the founders and the current vice-president of the New Left political party.{{cite web |title=Borić, Rada |url=https://www.sabor.hr/en/members-parliament/boric-rada-10-term |website=sabor.hr |publisher=Croatian Parliament |access-date=24 June 2024}}{{cite web |title=Rada Borić |url=https://mozemo.hr/nase-kandidatkinje-i-kandidati-za-parlamentarne-izbore-2024/rada-boric/ |website=mozemo.hr |publisher=Možemo! |access-date=24 June 2024 |language=hr}}
While working in Finland, she edited the first Finnish-Croatian / Croatian-Finnish dictionary, ensuring that all nouns included both the feminine and masculine forms. She was among the founders of the Centar za ženske studije (Center for Women's Studies) in 1995, the first gender studies program in Croatia. She has been recognized for her work on programs that protect and promote women by the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Croatian Interlace.
Early life and education
Rada Borić was born in 1951 in Zagreb, PR Croatia, Yugoslavia,{{sfn|Zagreb City Hall|2020}} to mother Danica and father Isidor Borić. She was raised in Koprivnica, where she completed her primary and secondary education, with her younger sister Nada Beroš, who would later become a museum curator.{{sfn|Rudež|2017}} She graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, with a PhD in Croatian language and literature.{{sfn|Index|2020}}
Career
File:One Billion Rising, Zagreb, Croatia 2022 (Photo 01).png event in Zagreb]]
In 1978, Borić began working at the University of Helsinki as a lecturer in Croatian. Because she could not speak Finnish, she initially lectured in English.{{sfn|Ožegović|2019}} She taught courses on Balkan cultural history and worked as a proofreader for Croatian texts.{{snf|Svirčić|2010}} Living in both Helsinki and Zagreb, she commuted between the two cities for work and her husband, Želimir Borić, a painter who identifies as a feminist, followed her as her work demanded.{{sfn|Ožegović|2019}} Her first Finnish contract expired in 1982 and Borić returned to Zagreb, teaching Croatian to foreign students at the University of Zagreb, until she was awarded a scholarship to study abroad.{{sfn|Rudež|2017}} She continued her education at Indiana University as a Fulbright Scholar and while there, encountered the women's movement. She enrolled in Women's studies courses and began studying women's history, becoming an activist for feminist issues and human rights.{{sfn|Ožegović|2019}}
Borić completed her U.S. studies in 1985 and then returned to Zagreb for a year. Between 1986 and 1991, she returned to lecturing at the University of Helsinki.{{sfn|Rudež|2017}} She returned to Zagreb in 1991 and as the Bosnian War had already begun, she began working at the Center for Women Victims of War ({{langx|hr|Centar za žene žrtve rata}}) in 1993.{{sfn|Džekman|2015}} In 1994, Borić received a letter of support from writer Eve Ensler, for the work she was doing at the Center to support women refugees. Ensler subsequently made a trip to Croatia and worked with Borić to establish self-help groups in refugee camps.{{sfn|Ožegović|2019}} In 1995, Borić and eleven other women founded the Centar za ženske studije (Center for Women's Studies), as an experimental program to promote women's history studies. Classes where first hosted at the Ethnographic Museum, Zagreb and later run as a pilot program for the University of Zagreb, for which Borić taught courses on feminism and linguistics.{{sfn|Centar za ženske studije|2020}} By design, the courses were kept separate from the mainstream university curricula to maintain the autonomy of the Center and freedom to provide a safe place for discussion of sexuality and gender, while introducing feminist theory to the university.{{sfn|Svirčić|2010}} It was the first center devoted to women's studies in Croatia, and Borić served as its executive director.{{sfn|Rudež|2017}}
In 1997, Borić and Ensler joined others involved in the movement to end violence against women to launch V-Day, through raising awareness globally.{{sfn|Ožegović|2019}} The movement was kicked off in 1998 with a production, aimed to raise funds to support community anti-violence groups and programs, of The Vagina Monologues at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.{{sfn|McPhee|1998|p=51}} Borić became the coordinator for V-Day events in the countries of the former Yugoslavia and the Eastern Bloc, one of 12 international women working to coordinate global events. In 2001, Ensler dedicated her book Necessary Targets: A Story of Women and War, based upon stories she had gathered in the camps, to Borić. The book was subsequently released as a play, for which Borić served as a consultant and executive producer.{{sfn|Ožegović|2019}}
In 2001, Borić began working on the first Finnish-Croatian / Croatian-Finnish dictionary.{{sfn|Ožegović|2019}} She made sure that all of the nouns in the book included both feminine and masculine forms, rather than the typical male-default words used in traditional dictionaries.{{sfn|Ožegović|2019}}{{sfn|Josipović|2018}} In 2007, she was honored as a Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland,{{sfn|Svirčić|2010}} when the dictionary was published in recognition of her work to foster the relationship between the two countries.{{sfn|Nacional|2007}}{{sfn|Embassy of Finland|2007}} In 2013, she was awarded the Order of the Croatian Interlace for her work in the promotion and protection of women's rights in Croatia.{{sfn|Džekman|2015}}{{sfn|Dnevnik|2013}} Borić was elected to serve in the Zagreb Assembly in 2017.{{sfn|Rudež|2017}}
References
=Citations=
{{Reflist|30em}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin|30em}}
- {{cite web |last1=Džekman |first1=Vildana |title=Rada Borić: Women's Rights Are Important in the Set with Other Rights |url=https://womencitizensforconstitutionalreform.wordpress.com/2015/12/25/rada-boric-womens-rights-are-important-in-the-set-with-other-rights/ |publisher=Women Citizens for Constitutional Reform |accessdate=27 April 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427202304/https://womencitizensforconstitutionalreform.wordpress.com/2015/12/25/rada-boric-womens-rights-are-important-in-the-set-with-other-rights/ |archivedate=27 April 2020 |location=Sarajevo |date=25 December 2015}}
- {{cite news |last1=Josipović |first1=Ivana |title=Gošća Nu2: Tko je Rada Borić, aktivistica i političarka koju Plenković stalno citira? |url=https://narod.hr/hrvatska/nu2-tko-rada-boric-feministica-koju-plenkovic-stalno-citira |accessdate=27 April 2020 |date=18 March 2018 |newspaper=Narod |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426161001/https://narod.hr/hrvatska/nu2-tko-rada-boric-feministica-koju-plenkovic-stalno-citira |archivedate=26 April 2020 |location=Zagreb |language=Croatian |trans-title=Nu2 Guest: Who Is Rada Borić, Activist and Politician Whom Plenkovic Quotes Constantly?}}
- {{cite news |last1=McPhee |first1=Michele |title=Parts Unknown |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49683562/mcphee-michele-parts-unkown-19/ |accessdate=27 April 2020 |date=19 February 1998 |newspaper=The Daily News |location=New York City, New York |page=51 |via=Newspapers.com}}
- {{cite news |last1=Ožegović |first1=Nina |title=Rada Borić Nepokorena zaštitnica zlostavljanih žena |url=https://www.nacional.hr/rada-boric-nepokorena-zastitnica-zlostavljanih-zena/ |newspaper=Nacional |publisher=Nacional News Corporation Ltd. |accessdate=26 April 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905043057/https://www.nacional.hr/rada-boric-nepokorena-zastitnica-zlostavljanih-zena/ |archivedate=5 September 2019 |location=Zagreb, Croatia |language=Croatian |date=18 August 2019 |trans-title=Rada Borić: An Unrepentant Patroness of Abused Women |postscript=. Reprint of an article originally published on 15 January 2002}}
- {{cite news |last1=Rudež |first1=Tanja |title=Najupornija Hrvatska Aktivistica |url=https://www.jutarnji.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/rada-boric-aktivistica-sam-bila-predugo-iz-te-pozicije-vise-nista-ne-bih-mogla-napraviiti/6253291/ |accessdate=27 April 2020 |date=18 June 2017 |newspaper=Jutarnji list |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106235104/https://www.jutarnji.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/rada-boric-aktivistica-sam-bila-predugo-iz-te-pozicije-vise-nista-ne-bih-mogla-napraviiti/6253291/ |archivedate=6 January 2019 |location=Zagreb |language=Croatian |trans-title=The Most Sustained Croatian Activist}}
- {{cite web |last1=Svirčić |first1=Jelena |title=Bojim se pritiska Crkve |url=http://www.h-alter.org/vijesti/bojim-se-pritiska-crkve |website=H-Alter.org |publisher=Association for Independent Media Culture |accessdate=27 April 2020 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20200316183758/http://www.h-alter.org/vijesti/bojim-se-pritiska-crkve |archivedate=16 March 2020 |location=Zagreb, Croatia |language=Croatian |date=7 January 2010 |trans-title=Fear of Church Pressure |url-status=live}}
- {{cite web |ref={{harvid|Centar za ženske studije|2020}} |author= |title=Centar za ženske studije, početci, 1995. godina |url=http://zenstud.hr/2020/02/20/zenskostudijski-vremeplov/ |website=zenstud.hr |publisher=Centar za ženske studije |accessdate=27 April 2020 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20200316182859/http://zenstud.hr/2020/02/20/zenskostudijski-vremeplov/ |archivedate=16 March 2020 |location=Zagreb, Croatia |language=Croatian |date=20 February 2020 |trans-title=Center for Women's Studies: Beginnings, 1995 |url-status=live}}
- {{cite news |ref={{harvid|Dnevnik|2013}} |author= |title=Foto Središnja proslava Dana državnosti: Došao i general Ante Gotovina |url=https://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/sredisnja-proslava-dana-drzavnosti-dosao-i-general-ante-gotovina---292148.html |accessdate=27 April 2020 |date=26 June 2013 |newspaper=Dnevnik |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731094237/https://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/sredisnja-proslava-dana-drzavnosti-dosao-i-general-ante-gotovina---292148.html |archivedate=31 July 2013 |location=Zagreb |language=Croatian |trans-title=Photo Central National Day Celebration: General Ante Gotovina also Came}}
- {{cite news |ref={{harvid|Index|2020}} |author= |title=Pitali smo Radu Borić kojih joj je pet omiljenih knjiga |url=https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/pitali-smo-radu-boric-kojih-joj-je-pet-omiljenih-knjiga/2177675.aspx |accessdate=27 April 2020 |date=26 April 2020 |newspaper=Index |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20200427220850/https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/pitali-smo-radu-boric-kojih-joj-je-pet-omiljenih-knjiga/2177675.aspx |archivedate=27 April 2020 |location=Zagreb |language=Croatian |trans-title=We asked Rada Borić What Her Five Favorite Books Were |url-status=live}}
- {{cite news |ref={{harvid|Nacional|2007}} |author= |title=Prvi Finsko-hrvatsko-finski rječnik |url=http://arhiva.nacional.hr/clanak/32268/prvi-finsko-hrvatsko-finski-rjecnik |accessdate=27 April 2020 |date=11 March 2007 |newspaper=Nacional |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427204108/http://arhiva.nacional.hr/clanak/32268/prvi-finsko-hrvatsko-finski-rjecnik |archivedate=27 April 2020 |location=Zagreb |language=Croatian |trans-title=The First Finnish-Croatian-Finnish Dictionary}}
- {{cite web |ref={{harvid|Zagreb City Hall|2020}} |author= |title=Rada Borić |url=http://www.skupstina.zagreb.hr/rada-boric/163 |website=skupstina.zagreb.hr |publisher=Zagreb City Hall |accessdate=26 April 2020 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20200316183449/http://www.skupstina.zagreb.hr/rada-boric/163 |archivedate=16 March 2020 |location=Zagreb, Croatia |language=Croatian |date=2020 |url-status=live}}
- {{cite web |ref={{harvid|Embassy of Finland|2007}} |author= |title=Radi Borić uručeno finsko odlikovanje |url=https://finlandabroad.fi/web/hrv/vijesti/-/asset_publisher/h5w4iTUJhNne/content/radi-boric-uruceno-finsko-odlikovanje/384951 |website=Finland Abroad |publisher=Embassy of Finland |accessdate=27 April 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426163323/https://finlandabroad.fi/web/hrv/vijesti/-/asset_publisher/h5w4iTUJhNne/content/radi-boric-uruceno-finsko-odlikovanje/384951 |archivedate=26 April 2020 |location=Zagreb |language=Croatian |trans-title=Rada Borić Awarded a Finnish Decoration |date=17 October 2007}}
{{refend}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boric, Rada}}
Category:People from Koprivnica
Category:Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb alumni
Category:Academic staff of the University of Helsinki
Category:Gender studies academics
Category:Croatian women academics
Category:Croatian human rights activists
Category:Croatian women activists
Category:Order of the White Rose of Finland
Category:Representatives in the modern Croatian Parliament