Gojkovic stressed that remarkable results had been achieved in the previous period evidenced by the increased representation of women who hold a number of key governmental posts in the state, as well as visibility and social sensibility for the problems they are faced with.

Gojkovic said that our society like many others is reluctant to include women in all the spheres of social economic and political life, some still believing in so-called “men’s jobs”, but more and more states, Serbia among them, pursue a clear policy that women, their work and knowledge are essential for tackling modern challenges and for overall progress.

Gojkovic said that the results achieved so far should be the engine to push us forward and it is very important that the National Assembly in the coming period, in cooperation with the relevant ministries and after a public debate, pass a new, modern gender equality law, analyzing the best regional practices and the experiences of other European states, to secure and even better social status for women.

Gojkovic said she sees the new gender equality law as an opportunity to take yet another step forward in preventing discrimination against women in terms of employment, income, welfare and healthcare, as well as in many other areas, including media content which should not inspire gender discrimination, prejudice or stereotypes.

“What is very important is the fact that the Draft law focuses on suppressing gender discrimination in the workplace and on equal job, promotion and specialization opportunities. The ban on asking women in job interviews about their marital status or family life and plans needs to be consistently implemented in practice”, said the National Assembly Speaker.

Gojkovic said that the topics of today’s Conference, such as the effects of digitalization on gender equality, impact of climate change and sustainable development goals are very important because the goal is to include gender equality issues into every segment of life.

Gojkovic stressed that strengthening equality also gives us the opportunity to catch up with the most developed countries in the world and be part of modern social and economic development trends.

This year’s Conference is attended, in addition to women MPs, by over 300 councilwomen from more than 100 Serbian towns and municipalities, as well as representatives of numerous organizations.

Ursula Läubli, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office, stressed that gender equality is not just a right, it is the pre-requisite of sustainable development, so advancing it is both a good and a smart move. Läubli said that gender equality is a priority included in every development project conducted with Swiss funds, adding that the Swiss Cooperation Office supports the political and economic empowerment of women and has been assisting in the work of the Women’s Parliamentary Network via trainings and seminars since its very foundation. The Office supports work at both the parliamentary and local level and its projects strengthen women’s entrepreneurship and create better job opportunities for women, especially those from vulnerable categories.

The attending were also addressed by Andrea Orizio, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, who emphasized the importance of this, now traditional event. Orizio said that he sees the work of the WPN not just as women doing something for women, but as a bid to give parliamentary and social activity a women’s dimension. The OSCE has taken on the political obligation to support gender equality since the very beginning, through concrete goals. Everything achieved so far is an example of the tenets built into the very foundation of all the projects conducted jointly by the OSCE, state and civil society. He added that the WPN promotes regional cooperation and cooperation at the local level, fosters ties with civil society and works on the strategic engagement of young women.

Finally, the Conference was addressed by Steliana Nedera, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, who praised the Network and its efforts, stressing that though informal it has managed to achieve remarkable results, strengthen gender equality and contribute to the establishment of over 50 women’s networks across Serbia. The strengthening of regional and international cooperation is also one of its accomplishments, said Nedera, with this, Sixth National Conference, being a success unto itself.

The topics of the ensuing panels were the effects of digitalization on gender equality, climate change and gender equality, while topic three: Sustainable Development Goals and Women: Gender Equality in Serbia, revolved around discrimination against women in the workforce, violence against women and participation of women in political, economic and public life. In the course of the Conference, the Women’s Parliamentary Network of Montenegro presented itself to the attending.