Gender Equality Law to be Adopted Soon

CRNPS

20 March 2006

Slobodan Lalovic, Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Policies, said that the Law on Gender Equality should be adopted by the end of the summer session of the Skupstina (Serbian Parliament). Lalovic said, in his address to the Towards the Law on Gender Equality conference, that the the essence of the problem surrounding gender equality in the moral and social system, and the regulations should just assist the achieving of full equality.

Hans-Ole Urstad, Head of OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenengro, said that Serbian political agenda is dominated by male dictatorship and that the Law should repair that situation. He added that the other countries in the region adopted similar legislation several years ago and that it was the highest time for Serbia to join them.

�Once the Law on Gender Equality is adopted, OSCE Mission will monitor and support its implementation�, said Urstad.

The conference was held under the �Public Advocacy for Adoption of Gender Equality Law� project, aimed to raise the awareness with the Members of the Parliament and the wider political public of the importance to adopt all Laws that would bring Serbia closer to the EU as soon as possible.

The project is implemented by the Centre of Modern Skills, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence and Vojvodina Provincial Secretariat of Labour, Employment and Gender Equality. The project is supported by the U.S. NGO Freedom House.