2024-06-21

Contribution of Academia and Civil Society to the Promotion and Advancement of Gender Equality

Promotion of the New Master’s Programme in Law and Gender at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade

“As part of the extensive platform for societal dialogue Sustainable Development for All, which is implemented in partnership by the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, the Centre for Advanced Economic Studies, the Belgrade Open School, the Center for Democracy Foundation, TOC - Association for the Development of Sustainable Communities, the BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society, and SMART Kolektiv, with the support of the governments of Switzerland and Germany and implemented by GIZ, we regularly publish an annual report on how civil society views Serbia’s progress concerning sustainable development.

All the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda are interconnected and interdependent. In terms of Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, European reports show that Serbia has made positive strides in a number of areas of gender equality. However, it is stagnating in other areas that we consider of critical importance, such as the gender gap in employment and the participation of women in senior positions. We have not made progress in these areas, and as a society, our focus must be here,” stated Nataša Vučković, Secretary General of the Center for Democracy Foundation, at the promotion of the new master’s programme in Law and Gender at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade.

“I see this programme as one piece of the puzzle that should help us take a step forward. In addition to providing further impetus for the deepening of legal scholarship in this field, we must also emphasise its value-driven connotation, which is extremely important in the current attempts to relativise gender equality. It seems to me that the objective scientific stance that will emerge from this master’s programme can be expected to contribute to the advancement and greater popularisation of gender equality, which is a vital element in our efforts to achieve a European level of democracy.”

The Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, with the support of the Center for Democracy Foundation and the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, organised the promotion of the new master’s programme entitled Law and Gender on 21 June 2024. The programme’s goals include the affirmation of a gender-sensitive approach to legal studies and higher education as a whole, the promotion of awareness of the importance of gender equality for the affirmation of human rights and rule of law. The programme also represents a significant contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, particularly those aimed at quality education and gender equality.

Participants in the event included Prof. Marko Jovanović, PhD, Vice Dean for International Cooperation, Faculty of Law; Tatjana Macura, Minister without Portfolio responsible for gender equality; Prof. Dragica Vujadinović, PhD, Coordinator of the LAWGEM project; Tatjana Prijić, Acting Assistant Commissioner for the Protection of Equality; Nataša Vučković, Secretary General of the Center for Democracy Foundation; Marija Vlajković, Assistant Lecturer; Ana Memeti, Teaching Associate; representatives of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), academia, government institutions, independent institutions, civil society organisations, and the media.

The master’s programme Law and Gender was developed as part of the Erasmus Plus Strategic Partnership in Higher Education project, implemented by the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, in collaboration with academic institutions from the European Union (EU), with the support of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality and the Center for Democracy Foundation.

More information concerning this master’s programme is available at: http://lawgems.ius.bg.ac.rs/