We have come a long way, but our goal of achieving full gender equality is still not met, which is why we must continue to create conditions that will enable all girls and women in the region to live without discrimination, said the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, at the two-day international conference on gender equality and women’s empowerment held in Tetovo. The conference was organized by the OSCE Mission in North Macedonia, and the main topics were devoted to the participation of women in security and peace operations, the gender perspective of corruption, and the need for economic empowerment of women.
During the conference, Commissioner Janković pointed out that in previous years the Republic of Serbia has made great steps forward and achieved significant progress in improving gender equality and the representation of women in all branches of government. The participation of women in public and security matters is of essential importance for achieving sustainable development, promoting peace and security, and improving gender equality, said the Commissioner and emphasized that the institution of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality is dedicated to strengthening the role of women in the security sector and their participation in politics, as well as providing various types of support to women entrepreneurs from rural areas.
On the sidelines of the conference, Commissioner Brankica Janković had a constructive conversation with OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid, who showed great interest in the activities of the Commissioner’s institution to improve the position of women. She also met with Ambassador Gesa Braeutigam, Special envoy and Director for Human Rights, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany. The meeting was opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia and the Chairman of the OSCE, Bujar Osmani. The conference, which brought together high-ranking representatives of the institutions of European countries and the OSCE, was organized during the presidency of North Macedonia in the OSCE.
