Ivana Dobrotić

Dr Ivana Dobrotić is a Professor at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, and an Associate Member of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford. With a PhD in Sociology from the University of Ljubljana and a Master in Social Work from the University of Zagreb, her career spans academic research and national policy development in Croatia.

• University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law
• University of Oxford, Department of Social Policy and Intervention

Her research focuses on comparative social policy, particularly work-care policies, gender equality, and social and spatial inequalities. She investigates how parental leave and childcare policies affect vulnerable populations, especially those in precarious employment.

Recent publications highlight her expertise in EU Work-Life Balance Directive implementation, childcare policy dynamics in post-Yugoslav states, and social exclusion through policy gaps. Her 2018–2021 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship funded the InCARE project, analyzing Southeastern European care policies.

She contributes to policy frameworks as a member of the ECPR Standing Group on Gender and Politics and co-editor of the Annual Review of Leave Policies & Related Research. Her work informs EU initiatives like the Child Guarantee, addressing child poverty and social inclusion.