The two-day Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union entitled "Advancing parity: Breaking the barriers of gender stereotypes and negative social norms" concluded today with addresses by IPU President Tulia Ackson and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Marina Ragus.
In her address, IPU President Tulia Ackson commended the importance Serbia attaches to parliamentary dialogue and parity.
"When parliaments come together, ideas can become commitments, and commitments can become drivers of change. The message from Belgrade is clear, we cannot achieve parity if we do not address stereotypes and return to the question of what we can change in our policies and what we need to strengthen. We need to take the spirit of these changes with us," said Ackson.
She took this opportunity to invite her colleagues to participate in the next Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians and the 153rd IPU General Assembly, which will be held in Tanzania.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Marina Ragus said that the gathering of parliamentary delegations from different parts of the world confirmed that constructive cooperation, mutual understanding and joint action are needed to build just, inclusive and democratic societies and sends a strong message that true progress is achieved when parliaments and societies create a space for equal participation of all.
"Today, the Inter-Parliamentary Union represents the most important global forum for parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue, and its role in empowering women in political life is of exceptional importance. During the conference, we confirmed one essential truth - strengthening women's participation in political and public life is not only a matter of promoting parity, but a matter of promoting the quality of democracy, the stability of institutions, the sustainable development of every society and women's solidarity as well," said Ragus.
She added that societies in which women participate equally in decision-making processes become more just, resilient and successful, and in times of rapid social change, the issue of women's equal participation in political and public life is becoming one of the key issues for the development of a democratic society, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights. Ragus said that women in politics continue to face, in many societies, deep-rooted stereotypes, economic inequalities, limited access to resources and various forms of social and institutional barriers. She concluded that the views expressed at this conference indicate that this not only affects the level of female representation in institutions, but their political visibility, credibility and the possibility of equal participation in the creation of public policies as well.
"Women belonging to different social groups, as parliamentarians pointed out to us during this conference, are often exposed to a greater degree of stereotyping and hate speech, which narrows the space for their action and representation of the interests of the communities they come from. Of particular concern is the fact that gender discrimination is increasingly being transferred to the digital space, where it is rapidly spreading and further entrenched through social networks and online platforms. Online violence, hate speech, disinformation and degrading portrayals of women in politics pose a serious challenge to national and international institutions and women's freedom of public action," said Ragus.
She emphasised that the path to achieving real equality is not simple and requires continuous cooperation, constant exchange of experiences and the implementation of effective strategies that will enable overcoming the limitations imposed by discriminatory social norms. Gender equality must not be viewed as an isolated issue, but as an integral part of democratic development, the rule of law and the protection of human rights, and Serbia remains firmly committed to advancing gender equality and empowering women in all areas of social and political life, as well as attaching special importance to improving the position of women from vulnerable social groups, said Ragus.
The National Assembly Deputy Speaker said that the National Assembly is among the parliaments with a significant proportion of women in the parliamentary benches and governing parliamentary bodies, which is an important result of continuous institutional efforts and consistent implementation of parity promoting mechanisms, and as an active IPU member state, it continuously contributes to global initiatives aimed at strengthening parliamentary democracy, peace, dialogue and equal participation of women in political life.
"Building a society of equal opportunities is not the responsibility of individuals, but a shared obligation of political actors, institutions and society as a whole. May the messages and conclusions we take from Belgrade today be an incentive for more concrete steps, stronger international cooperation and a more determined fight for a society in which every girl and every woman will have equal dignity and equal opportunities, because women are the pillar of the future and they will make the world a better place," concluded Ragus.
The IPU Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians was held from 2 to 4 June 2026 in Belgrade and brought together representatives from over 60 countries around the world. Belgrade was home to over 400 representatives of parliaments, international organisations and experts.
Photo gallery: National Assembly © Milos Miskov
