Government is poised to implement principles and ideas of gender equality

Deputy Prime Minister for Political System, Judiciary, and Anti-Corruption Momo Koprivica met with Executive Director of the Women's Rights Centre Maja Raičević.

Deputy Prime Minister Koprivica welcomed the efforts and work of the NGO Women's Rights Centre, aimed at raising social awareness regarding gender equality. In this regard, he expressed the Government's absolute readiness to implement gender equality principles and ideas through a strategic and legislative framework.

Deputy Prime Minister Koprivica emphasised that the Government supports mechanisms guaranteeing greater representation of women in public and political life.

The interlocutors also agreed on the need to finalize work on amendments to the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence and to consider ways to enhance it with measures against femicide, digital violence, and gender-based hate speech.

Furthermore, to ensure a better position for victims of violence, they emphasised the importance of focusing on a set of protective measures during the implementation of proceedings, during the upcoming reform of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Additionally, they noted the need for the establishment of a national body for coordinating and implementing policies and measures to prevent and combat all forms of violence covered by the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). This body would prioritize the rights and best interests of victims and rely on the expertise and experience of specialized women's NGOs.

Raičević highlighted the importance of integrating GREVIO recommendations and underscored the significance of ensuring conditions for the specialization of officials and the formation of expert teams in institutions working on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The interlocutors exchanged opinions and information on forthcoming obligations and stressed that intensive cooperation in this field is necessary to ensure visible results in these policies.