Commissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic led a session “How may culture influence the perception of women in the society?”, held in Gallery of Matica Srpska in Novi Sad in cooperation with British Council and Gallery of Matica Srpska.

Four influential men, President of Provincial Government Igor Mirovic, Ambassador of Great Britain Denis Keefe, President of Matica Srpska Dr Dragan Stanic and President of Color Press Group Robert Coban, discussed the place of women in culture and influence to gender equality from their point of view.

In the opening part of session, Commissioner said that there are many women in Serbian culture who are known in public as daughters, wives, sisters of famous politicians, writers, painters, while their own work has remained unknown. There were similar examples in Britain too, like for example, when credits for success of famous painter Mary Bilal were given to her husband, just because he supervised her art studio. Commissioner Jankovic said also that dominant male pattern is still leading in culture and that is precisely why it is good that men are talking about this subject.

Participants of this session agreed that culture and greater recognition of women’s presence in it may significantly contribute to gender equality and influence the important social activities. It was assessed that there is a need for intensified work to promote women in culture, as well as that politics and media may have impact to establishing of new gender discourse.

Session was organized within the side program of exhibition “Perceptions: Women Tailored by Society?” which presents women tailored by society in different times and medias, with participation of five museums in Western Balkans.