No. 021-01-399/2025-02 date: 7.4.2024 .

GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Prime Minister-designate, Dr. Đuro Macut

11000 BELGRADE

Nemanjina br. 11

Dear Mr. Macut,

Starting from the need for continuous improvement in respect for equality and human rights, as well as the right to gender equality, the future Government under your mandate faces numerous challenges that need to be adequately addressed.

In accordance with both international and national legal frameworks, balanced participation of men and women in decision-making is one of the key priorities for the overall development of society. It ensures a fairer distribution of influence, optimal use of the capacities and potential of all its members, and enables sustainable development. As outlined, among other things, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to participate in the government of their country. Without the active participation of women and the inclusion of women’s perspectives at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development, and peace cannot be achieved^[1]. The commitment to ensure women’s equal access and full participation in power and decision-making structures is also regulated by the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action from 1995, which state that the empowerment and advancement of the social, economic and political status of women is essential for achieving accountable and transparent governance, and that the low percentage of women in decision-making bodies at various levels maintains structural barriers. The obligation to ensure equal access and full participation of women in power structures and decision-making bodies is also defined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), which states that empowering women and improving their social, economic, and political status is essential to achieving responsible and transparent governance. A low percentage of women in decision-making bodies at various levels reflects deeply rooted structural barriers.

Data on women in executive positions and in national parliaments as of 1 January 2025 are presented in the publication Women in Politics: 2025 ^[2], developed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women. These figures continue to show the greater representation of men in decision-making roles worldwide, which slows the achievement of gender equality in politics. Women currently hold positions as heads of state and/or government in only 25 countries and make up 27.2% of parliamentarians. Globally, less than one-quarter of cabinet ministers are women (22.9%). The 2025 map shows that while women lead key policy areas such as human rights, gender equality, and social welfare, men continue to dominate in fields like foreign affairs, financial and fiscal policy, internal affairs, and defense. The Republic of Serbia ranks 32nd, with 37.5% representation of women—meaning nine female ministers hold office out of a total of 24 ministries.

Assessing the State of Equality Protection, the Commissioner, in the Regular Annual Report on the State of Equality Protection for 2024, issued a series of general recommendations aimed at promoting equality and combating discrimination. One of these recommendations emphasizes the need to ensure and encourage balanced representation of women and men in all spheres of public life—especially in decision-making and the exercise of public functions at all levels—as well as to increase women’s participation in the security sector, particularly in decision-making positions in the military and police^[3]. Furthermore, in the report of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) dated February 28, 2024, Recommendation No. 14 highlights the need to establish additional mechanisms and incentives to motivate political parties to promote women’s participation in political life, increase their visibility during election campaigns, and strengthen their role in politics.^[4]

According to the 2025 Action Plan for the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy for the Period 2021-2030,[5] one of the measures aimed at achieving Specific Goal 2—Ensuring equal opportunities for the exercise and protection of human rights as a prerequisite for development and a safe society—is the strengthening of capacities and improvement of the institutional and normative framework for gender equality in political life, as well as ensuring the equal participation of women and men, especially vulnerable groups, in decision-making on public affairs.

The legal obligation for gender representation on electoral lists (requiring at least 40% of candidates to be from the less represented gender)[6] serves as an indicator of the necessity to ensure gender balance in the appointment of ministers as well.

Assigning a greater number of portfolios to the underrepresented gender—in addition to aligning with the strategic commitments of the Republic of Serbia and complying with the aforementioned recommendations—would demonstrate your dedication to achieving gender equality in the field of political engagement and public affairs.

In light of all the above, I trust that, as the Prime Minister-designate, you will use your authority and opportunities during the formation of the Government to achieve gender balance, both in terms of composition and distribution of ministerial portfolios.

[1] Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

[2] Women in politics: 2025 , Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women, 2025, available at:

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2025-03/women-in-politics-2025-en.pdf

[3] Available at: https://ravnopravnost.gov.rs/izvestaji/

[4] Available at: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/1/3/563505.pdf

[5] “Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, no. 15/25

[6] Law on the Election of Members of the National Assembly (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, no. 14/22), Article 73.

COMMISSIONER FOR THE PROTECTION OF EQUALITY
Brankica Janković