Forum co-held by OSCE Skopje Mission supports better representation of women in politics
(OSCE)Savka Todorovska (left), President of UWOM, and Elena Grozdanova, co-ordinator of the Women Can Do It II - Municipal Election 2004 project, Skopje, 10 December 2004.
(OSCE) Photo details
SKOPJE, 10 December 2004 - Increasing the participation of women in politics is the focus of a forum that opened today in Skopje, jointly organized by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.
The forum marks the completion of the Women Can Do It II - Municipal Election 2004 project and will present to the public conclusions and recommendations from activities implemented during this year. The aim of the OSCE-supported project is to increase participation of women in the decision-making at all levels.
"Through this project we would like to encourage and motivate different political parties so they can properly recognize and represent the interests of both genders," said Savka Todorovska, President of the Union of Women's Organizations of Macedonia, which co-organized the event with the Governmental Unit for Promoting Gender Equality.
Although scheduled local elections did not take place this year, a series of important measures have been implemented, including legislative ones, to ensure a greater number of women are elected in the forthcoming elections.
In May 2004, parliament adopted an amendment ensuring a 30 per cent gender quota for each party list. Under the Women Can Do It II project, political parties organized workshops where party representatives, regardless of gender, had an opportunity to become familiar with the basic gender concepts and the need for equal participation of men and women in politics.
Andrew Palmer, Institution Building Programme Director of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, said: "We want to make sure that the civil society movement in gender mainstreaming helps women play an active role in decision-making at all levels."
The forum marks the completion of the Women Can Do It II - Municipal Election 2004 project and will present to the public conclusions and recommendations from activities implemented during this year. The aim of the OSCE-supported project is to increase participation of women in the decision-making at all levels.
"Through this project we would like to encourage and motivate different political parties so they can properly recognize and represent the interests of both genders," said Savka Todorovska, President of the Union of Women's Organizations of Macedonia, which co-organized the event with the Governmental Unit for Promoting Gender Equality.
Although scheduled local elections did not take place this year, a series of important measures have been implemented, including legislative ones, to ensure a greater number of women are elected in the forthcoming elections.
In May 2004, parliament adopted an amendment ensuring a 30 per cent gender quota for each party list. Under the Women Can Do It II project, political parties organized workshops where party representatives, regardless of gender, had an opportunity to become familiar with the basic gender concepts and the need for equal participation of men and women in politics.
Andrew Palmer, Institution Building Programme Director of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, said: "We want to make sure that the civil society movement in gender mainstreaming helps women play an active role in decision-making at all levels."