Only a day after the seminar for women MPs participating in Women Parliamentary Network (WPN) work was completed in Palić, the second national conference with the explicit goal to „empower women in political life and decision making on all levels“began in the National Assembly.
The conference was attended by nearly 200 women represented in bodies of local self-government across Serbia asking their more experienced colleagues for support and guidance in their everyday work.
Ljubičić, J.: Since 2000 inst. framework for gender equality in Serbia is becoming stronger. Number of women MPs (33,6%) makes Serbia 23nd in the world, 5th in Europe.
General Secretary of the Assembly Jana Ljubičić has said that “today as many as 106 units of local self-government have established a mechanism for gender equality“.
BFPE Executive Director Irena Cerović has announced the continuation of our support to the WPN.
Cerović: I see this conf. as a critical way to mobilize women, carrying resources needed to solve many of the problems affecting entire society.#ZPM2nd
Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Mr. Peter Burkhard explained how the organization he represents supports the WPN as it represents „key forum for advancing position of women in Serbia’s society“. This becomes even more important as, noted by Luca Bianconi, Chief of the EU Delegation in Serbia Political Department, „women succeeding in politics represent an exception, not a rule“.
MPs Dubravka Filipovski (New Serbia), Stefana Miladinović (Socialist Party of Serbia) and Gordana Čomić (Democratic party) as well as MP Meho Omerović (Social Democratic Party of Serbia) presented WPN’s key accomplishments as well as plans for future work, where most prominently features a desire to bring women MPs from across the region to Belgrade in February 2015.
Discussions were continued in five working groups – „Economic empowerment of women“, „Women and European integration in local politics“, „Women inequality“, „Dialogue between women and men“ and „Health of women“; by the end of the day, results were compiled and written down as recommendations.
„We will not reach the dialogue with men as long as we don’t talk between ourselves. WPN has the potential to promote this.“
Sources: Radio Television of Serbia, Beta news agency, Centre for Modern Skills and user Olivera Jović Twitter accounts.
