Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
29.02.2016.

Andjelka Milic award to Dr Jovanka Saranovic



"Andjelka Milic" award for feminist creativity in the field of science and culture, and for the support to that creativity and implementation of feminist ideas in different areas of social life were presented tonight at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade for the first time.
 
Jury including Dr. Marina Hughson, Dr. Dubravka Djuric and Dr. Ivana Kronja, unanimously decided to present the "Andjelka Milic" award for introducing or encouraging practices that significantly contribute to the establishment of gender equality in the organizations, institutions or local communities to the Director of the Strategic Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence Prof. Jovanka Saranovic.
 
Receiving the award, the Director of the Strategic Research Institute pointed out that it was a great honour for her to be one of the laureates of the award that bears the name of Andjelka Milic, a woman who moved the borders in time in which she lived and worked, and who valued activism as equally as the scientific work.
 
- This is the prize that obliges. If you truly believe in what you do, that it makes sense, helps others, that the results remain as a legacy for generations to come, that is something that drove me all these years and gave me energy to work step-by-step on the implementation of gender perspective in the defence system, Dr Saranovic said stressing that she was glad that the results are visible and measurable, and that someone had recognized them.
 
She pointed out that the award, which is both recognition to the institution headed by her but also her personal recognition, came at the right time when all the conditions for that have been fulfilled.
 
- Both I and the system have matured to receive this recognition and to deal with it in the future. We got the prize not because we are perfect but because we tried to be exceptional in what we were doing and what we intend to do in the same way also in the future, the Director of the Institute said and thanked the Ministry of Defence for creating the environment in which it was a pleasure to work on the promotion and objectification of gender equality in accordance with the highest European and international standards.
 
The Andjelka Milic (1942-2014) award was founded as a memory of the scientific work, scientific contribution and feminist activism, by the Section for Feminist research and Critical studies of Masculinities (SEFEM), of the Serbian Sociological Association, whose first president was Andjelka, wishing to recognize and highlight the values which in the social and intellectual life of Serbia were not only sidelined, but also senseless, mocked and highly jeopardised.