2021-06-28

Gender Policy Forum - Constitutional Changes - Gender Mainstreaming or Defence?

The First Gender Policy Forum - Constitutional Changes - Gender Mainstreaming or Defence? was held on 27 June 2021 under the organisation of the Women's Platform for the Development of Serbia and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Keynote speakers in the debate were: Prof. Marijana Pajvančić, PhD (Women's Platform for the Development of Serbia), Sofija Mandić (Women's Platform for the Development of Serbia) / Peščanik) and Nataša Vučković (Center for Democracy Foundation). The discussion was moderated by Jelena Petrović, Journalist at N1.

Executive Director, Center for Democracy Foundation, Nataša Vučković, assessed the importance of discussing this issue both within the context of the current amendments to the Constitution, as well as the overall issue of gender mainstreaming in public policy. We can also discuss this within the context of the recently adopted Law on Gender Equality and Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination.

When we examine the Constitution, the impression is that it fails completely to recognise women in our society, in our country. Many constitutions in the world today already provide for quotas for women in decisive positions within state administration. This is gender mainstreaming at the state administration level. A large number of constitutional systems are changing and placing greater emphasis on economic, social and cultural rights.

Gender mainstreaming of the Constitution means that we understand that, in the very least, half of our society is comprised of women. We also need a separate constitutional provision to guarantee the freedom of women from violence. Accordingly, we need greater participation of women in decision-making at all levels and all branches of government, equal access to economic resources, anti-discrimination policies, protection from violence, etc.