Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, and representatives of the Kolubara District Women’s Association (ŽUKO) held the first in a series of joint workshops for high school students on the topic of equality in property inheritance at the Polytechnic School in Požarevac.

In our society, prejudices, stereotypes, and beliefs still put women in a more unequal position. Such behavior patterns are deeply rooted, so we often accept them as normal, as tradition, something taken for granted and expected. Although women and men have been legally equal for 70 years, about 44% of women in Serbia renounce inheritance in favor of male family members. However, renouncing inheritance carries legal consequences that women are unaware of when making such a decision, Commissioner Janković stated.

According to research data conducted by the ŽUKO association in 2023, as many as 84% ​​of respondents stated that no one explained to them that they would be unable to receive social assistance if they renounced their inherited property. Also, according to the data of the Republic Geodetic Institute, women are the sole owners of only 25% of the total property, while in the countryside, that percentage is only 16%. Real estate ownership is an essential prerequisite for women to be more independent and to, for example, take out a loan based on real estate and start their own business. If they do not have property, it can affect their economic independence, but also the risk of various forms of family and gender-based violence.

Attitudes that women should give up inheritance in favor of male family members are characteristic of the elderly or those from rural areas as well as young people. That is why school workshops will be held in 20 local governments as part of the “How Much is my Share” project, with the support of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) within the program “Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction in Serbia.”

Going to Požarevac was also an opportunity for Commissioner Janković to meet with the mayor of Požarevac, Saša Pavlović, and his team, with whom she discussed the level of gender equality achieved in that local self-government. She also visited the Luna fashion industry factory, congratulating the owner, Biljana Jovanović, on her achievements, high production standards, and a stimulating work environment, supporting female entrepreneurship and the domestic textile industry.