GENDER EQUALITY IN REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA The position of women in the Macedonian society Dragana Drndarevska

 Equal opportunity means equal participation of women and men in all spheres of public and private sectors, equal status and equal treatment in the exercise of all rights and in developing individual potential through which people contribute to social development and equal benefits from the results of that development (Law on Equal Opportunities for women and men - Article 4)

 The electoral law sets a minimum threshold of 30 % for women participation at all levels in politics.  There is no law on sanctions - no punishment for violation of art. 64 and Art. 21 of the Election Code;  The level of female representation on key functions is very low.  34 women in the parliament out of 120 MPs;  3 women ministers in the government out of 22 ministries ;  Few women play decisive roles as top managers in line ministries;  26,8% women in the local councils/ In 7 municipalities there is only one or not a single woman on the local council;

 84 municipalities and the city of Skopje- no women major;  Commission on Equal Opportunities for women and men on national level and Equal Opportunities Commissions at local level do not perform their function, they are not aware of their responsibilities and don’t have appropriate work programs - so far no concrete action and tangible results in the field of gender equality  SEC: out of 7 members only 1 is women (14%). Violation of article 21 of the Electoral Law which require 30%.  In the Security Council in Republic of Macedonia out of 9 members, in the last two mandates only 1 women per mandate

 2/3 of the illiterate people are women;  4% of the employed women are owner of a businesses;  11% of the employed women receive higher sale then the average;  Women earn 1/3 of the finances;  The rate of working capacity among women is 42.9%, and markedly higher among men and 67.3%;

 Women have no opportunity to use state subsidies (Law for subsidies): only 2% of them in rural areas are land owners, 4% owners of financial savings,5% have ownership of houses/apartments;  Limited access of rural women for their right to free gynecological examinations and immunization, guaranteed by the Law on Health Care

 Every 4th woman is a victim of domestic violence/ no state women’s shelters, only one NGO shelter  Legal decision to allocate 2% of assets, from games of chance, to protect victims of domestic violence are not applied transparently, it is not known how much money are collected and what are they used for;  Law for the third child is contrary to the freedom of women and its limiting women’s competitiveness in the labor market

 Campaign to ban abortion is discriminatory to women and its limiting the right of decision and choice;  Law for antidiscrimination;