Publications

This Handbook is a practical tool for regulatory and policy impact assessment at central and local governance and is intended to facilitate the process of incorporating the gender perspective in decision-making. The Handbook provides basic information and practical guidelines on how to assess the impact of gender equality on policies and adopted decisions and regulations. The methodology and the practical tools presented in this Handbook can be applied to other vulnerable groups in society, such as: people with disability, minority groups, etc.

The publication is a baseline study addressing gender and diversity considerations in the justice system by bringing international perspective on national understanding of the role of the women in judiciary and providing relevant data and analysis from a gender and diversity perspective (ethnicity, language, disability, age, social status, religion or belief). The study reflects on the current situation in North Macedonia and offers recommendations that would serve as a solid basis for future fact-based and sustainable interventions for building a more inclusive justice system in line with the good practice solutions highlighted by the OSCE/ODIHR.

The publication includes findings of the first national perception survey with women in North Macedonia and responses from the two focus groups discussions with victims of sexual extortion conducted in 2021. Some of the questions answered by the respondents include whether women recognized sextortion by public sector employees in exchange for provision of a public service as a form of corruption, if the officials in a position of power tended to request sexual services instead of money/bribes in order to provide the public service obliged to provide in accordance with the Laws, if sextortion was present in the private sector as well, as well as if respondents would report their own or someone else’s experience with this form of corruption. Findings of the report are intended to support the debate and eventually lead to criminalization of sexual extortion as an act of corruption in North Macedonia.

The mentoring handbook aims to support the professional and personal development of women employed in the public sector by creating a concept of mutual support, sharing knowledge and experiences, as well as strengthening solidarity and networking among women. It covers the required key techniques and tools to effectively guide the mentoring process between women employed in public administration. The publication was developed in co-operation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy under the mentoring program “Women for Women in Public Administration”.

The analysis aims to provide insight into the situation with online harassment and attacks on women journalists in North Macedonia, as a form of gender-based violence, as well as identifying possible solutions for overcoming the problem and mechanisms and resources for providing adequate protection and assistance.

The Manual provides a theoretical overview of the international commitments of North Macedonia related to gender equality, drafting gender sensitive legislation and parliamentary oversight of gender equality. It provides practical examples on best practices from the country and parliaments worldwide on mainstreaming gender in parliamentary operations. The publication is prepared by the OSCE Mission in co-operation with parliamentary staff to support MPs in their work aimed at promoting and advancing gender equality.

The paper, prepared by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, is a first attempt to discuss linkages between corruption and gender inequality, relating it to the situation in North Macedonia. The paper refers to the national context and international/ OSCE commitments in the area of democratic governance and corruption prevention, gender-specific forms of corruption, correlation between women representation in the political life and levels of corruption. This discussion paper represents a pioneering step to open a debate, elevating this subject to a higher level of attention with policymakers, civil society, and the general public towards recognition, documentation, and institutionalization of gendered forms of corruption in the national legislation and, eventually, contribute to reducing the impact of corruption on women.

The Analysis explores the multidimensional approach and complexity of the introduced measures during the pandemic on gender and diversity in North Macedonia. The first chapter provides an overview of the gender analysis of measures adopted by the Government from human rights perspective, while the second chapter focuses on the participation of women and men in the labor market, violence against women, participation of women and men in decision-making in the COVID-19 response, etc. The third chapter presents and analyses the gender gaps created by COVID-19 response, while the final chapter includes proposals for measures to be taken in the post-COVID-19 period. The Analysis was developed by the OSCE Mission to Skopje in partnership with the Centre for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) and the CSOs Radar, Polio Plus, Rural Coalition, and the National Network to End Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

Published by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, this manual is a theoretical and practical tool to help in the work of the equal opportunity commissions.