Organized by the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, a meeting entitled “Dialogue on Improving the Position of Women Members of National Minorities” was held today, bringing together representatives of national councils of national minorities in Serbia. The meeting was opened with welcoming remarks by the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević, and Angela Longo, Head of the Anti-Discrimination Cooperation Unit of the Council of Europe.
The institution of the Commissioner has good, continuous cooperation with national councils of national minorities, and through regular visits to local self-governments across Serbia we directly monitor the situation on the ground, bearing in mind that discrimination on the grounds of national affiliation and ethnic origin is every year among the top five grounds by number of complaints submitted by citizens, Commissioner Antonijević said.
According to him, the aim is for institutions to address systematically, and in communication with public authorities from the local level to the Government, the problems faced by members of national minorities. “The representation of women in decision-making within national councils, their engagement and greater visibility are important to us. Women and girls belonging to minorities, women from rural areas and older women are often exposed to multiple forms of discrimination. They face pressure not only as part of a minority community, but also on the grounds of sex, as well as on other grounds,” Antonijević said.
In the introductory part ut was emphasized that similar trends are also shown by data from the European Union, which is why it is important to hear their voices directly and to work on creating applicable inclusive policies that will truly change their position. On that occasion, the importance of the new Action Plan for the Exercise of the Rights of National Minorities for the period 2026–2029 was highlighted.
The working part of the meeting was dedicated to a discussion on the perception of equality, experiences and specific challenges faced by women members of national minorities. The discussion addressed widespread stereotypes, as well as the need for the economic empowerment of women and their greater participation in the work of national councils and local self-government bodies. A questionnaire for women from their minority communities will be sent to all national councils, and the responses received will serve to formulate recommendations that will be included in the Commissioner’s Special Report on Discrimination on the Grounds of National Affiliation and Ethnic Origin.
