01.12.2014.
Regional conference in Skopje about gender equality in the security sector
In the course of UNDP/SEESAC project “Supporting integration of gender equality principles in the reform of the security sector in western Balkans”, the regular sixth meeting of representatives of mechanisms of gender equality was held in Skopje. The meeting was opened by Minister of Defence of Macedonia Zoran Jolevski, PhD, and the meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministries of Defence of Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.The five-member delegation of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Serbia was headed by Director of the Strategic Research Institute Jovanka Saranovic, PhD, who is also in charge of matters of the counselor for gender equality of the Minister of Defence.
During the meeting, topics that were discussed were implementation of gender equality in policies, plans and practices of ministries of defence, on a strategic level, in the field of employment and maintaining women in the service, improvement of working conditions, of gender-sensitive educations and trainings at ministries of defence and armed forces, and planning activities from the field of defence for 2015.
The delegation of Serbia presented realized activities within the said project in the past period, stressing the activities of the Political Council of the Government for implementation of NAP, of the Analytic Group, Counselor for gender equality of the Minister of Defence, “trusted persons” and practices in implementation of gender-equal budgeting and managing gender-responsible track of staff at the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Serbia. They have presented significant achievements in the field of gender equality through enrollment of women on all levels of education and further training, including the Military Grammar School, and in increased number of women at the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Serbia and in unions (within which the first Women’s Forum has been formed), and realization of training of staff in the field of gender equality. They have also presented suggested activities within the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Serbia in 2015 which attracted attention and positive comments of other participants of the meeting and representatives of UNDP/SEESAC, who are expected to provide active and partnership support in the next period.This form of cooperation is a powerful and efficient regional support mechanism for declared regional goals of cooperation, peace and fostering good neighboring relations, integration of the countries of the region of the Western Balkans into EU and it significantly contributes to regional cooperation with the goal of improving the implementation of the 1325 SB UN Resolution – Women, peace and security on a national level.
