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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Draft national strategy for improving women’s position presented

Belgrade, 31 January 2008

State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy Snezana Lakicevic-Stojacic said today that the strategy for improving the position of women must improve the economic position of women, give them access to higher education and allow them to play a stronger role in political and public life.

Speaking at a press conference, Lakicevic-Stojacic explained that state organs, international and non-governmental organisations and trade unions took part in drafting the national strategy for improving the position of women and promoting gender equality, which defines the policy of equal opportunities for the period from 2008 to 2014.

She said that committees of the Serbian parliament are now debating the draft, and specified that women represent only 20% of the members of parliament, whereas at least a third of the parliament members should be women.

According to Lakicevic-Stojacic, the situation is no better in local assemblies. A higher number of women should also be present in executive bodies in Serbia, a country where women make up 52% of the population.

The national strategy for improving the position of women and promoting gender equality is a Serbian government document and a basic instrument for mobilising the country’s social resources to establish equality.

A few of the areas that the strategy will focus on are education, women’s health and improving women’s position in the health policy.

Prevention of violence against women, providing protection to victims, countering gender stereotypes in the media and promoting gender equality in general are the goals of this strategy. Special attention has been paid to the needs of women with disabilities, women who head families; belong to the Roma minority and those living in rural areas.

The sector for gender equality at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Serbian Sex Equality Council, and several NGOs participated in drafting the national strategy for improving the position of women.