On 20 September, the Gender Equality Committee held a sitting in Zitiste in the form of a roundtable. The topic was the position of women in rural areas.

At the beginning of the proceedings, the Chairperson, Dr Gordana Paunovic-Milosavljevic, briefed the participants on the Gender Equality Committee’s competence and work, emphasising that its most important task is to consider bills, other regulations and general documents from the aspect of improving gender equality. She highlighted the adoption of the Gender Equality Law late last year, a task in which the Committee members were particularly involved. In order to strengthen its monitoring role, the Committee holds sittings in local communities from time to time, so as to gain insight into the work of gender equality offices and their problems, said the Committee Chairperson.

Talking about the position of women in the Mid-Banat administrative district, its Prefect Tanja Dulovic pointed out that women in rural areas are in a particularly difficult position. In most cases they neither have property, nor are they employed which is the main cause of their bad position. More than 90% women who work only in rural households and whose work is “invisible” lack proper health care. In addition, the number of women entrepreneurs is also decreasing.

Marija Isakov, President of the Zitiste Gender Equality Commission, stressed that the Municipality of Zitiste was among the first in Serbia to found an office five years ago and adopt a decision on equal representation of women in municipal authorities. The Commission gathers rural women in 12 different associations, organises educational programmes and is interested in joining various development programmes with secured financing.

Zrenjanin Educational Center representative Radoslava Aralica talked about the unequal position of women on the labour market listing numerous examples of discrimination against women in employment. She also pointed out that women in rural areas are more often exposed to violence but are less likely to ask for help than women in urban areas.

Committee member Jelena Travar-Miljevic presented the CEDAW Convention and talked about local mechanisms and the position of women in rural areas.

The roundtable mostly focused on how to improve the economic position of women in rural areas and ensure them equal opportunities in the spheres of labour and employment.

Initiatives for the amendments of certain laws were launched which should contribute to improve the economic position of women in rural areas. Deputies Miletic Mihajlovic, Elvira Kovacs, Zlata Djeric, Branka Ljiljak and Dusanka Plecevic took part in the proceedings, as did the representatives of Zitiste Municipality local self-government.

Following the discussion the Committee ruled to propose conclusions which it would vote on in the next sitting.