Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Brankica Janković met with Blerta Cela, Deputy Regional Director of the United Nations for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women), with whom she discussed the achieved standards in the field of human rights and gender equality, as well as projects jointly implemented in the past by the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality and UN Women. The emphasis was on the current project within the initiative “Improving the safety of women in Serbia”.

Having in mind the complexity of the problem of violence against women, especially women living in rural areas, it is important to provide them with more support, said Commissioner Janković, stating that such programs contribute to the improvement of prevention of violence against women. In the following period, a string of actions will be carried out through activities in which women from rural areas will be introduced to the mechanisms of protection against violence, but particular efforts will be exerted towards their economic empowerment, said the Commissioner. It was jointly assessed that only economic independence is a condition for improving the quality of life of women and leaving a violent relationship. The program will, among other things, provide direct assistance to women who want to start or improve their business from the purchase of equipment for agricultural production to the purchase of office supplies.

At the meeting the continuation of joint activities aimed at promoting gender equality with a special emphasis on regional initiatives was agreed.