Melanie Ivančević

Melanie Ivančević holds a degree in Theology from the International Evangelical Theological Faculty in Osijek and completed a supplementary study in Pedagogy at the Faculty of Educational and Teacher Training Sciences in Osijek. After moving to Rijeka, she served in a clerical role as a deaconess at the Evangelical Church Congregation in Rijeka. In 2013, she earned the title of University Specialist Translator for English at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

For fifteen years, she has worked with youth in the non-governmental sector, developing creative and interactive thematic exhibitions based on the six senses in collaboration with cultural, educational, and religious institutions. She has also collaborated for many years with Houghton College (NY) on the international study program “Where East Meets West.” Melanie is a co-founder of the Superwoman program in Croatia, focused on empowering girls aged 12 to 18 through non-violent communication methods.

She has been a long-standing member of the Ecumenical Women’s Initiative (EIŽ), a women’s fund and platform that strengthens movements and empowers women for leadership and participation in processes of peace, gender equality, and interfaith dialogue across the Western Balkans. EIŽ operates in six countries affected by the lasting consequences of conflict, social fragmentation, and patriarchal structures. Within EIŽ, Melanie monitors project activities of organizations under the EU CERV program and supports the allocation of grants to female researchers.