Milana Rikanović, Head of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in Serbia

Gender-responsive budgeting, recognition of unpaid work and awareness-raising campaigns are just some of the activities that UN Women Serbia engages in as part of its efforts to reduce gender inequalities and challenge deep-rooted stereotypes

UN Women Serbia is dedicated to advancing gender equality through support for gender-responsive budgeting and the recognition of women’s unpaid labour. Through numerous campaigns, this organisation works to raise awareness of gender stereotypes, violence and social inequality. We discussed these and other initiatives with Milana Rikanović, Head of UN Women in Serbia.

Serbia introduced gender-responsive budgeting nine years ago. What do you see as tangible positive outcomes of this initiative?

— Since 2015, UN Women has supported the Serbian Ministry of Finance in implementing gender-responsive budgeting (GRB), which became a legal obligation under the Budget System Law.

GRB is a tool that ensures budget allocations address gender inequalities in society and improve the position of disadvantaged citizens.

All institutions at the national, provincial and local levels that receive direct funding from the state budget are required to gradually implement GRB.

This public finance reform has contributed to advancing gender equality across sectors that include entrepreneurship, agriculture, social protection, sports, culture and information, and environmental protection.

The implementation of GRB also improves the transparency of budget planning and spending, while enhancing the knowledge and skills that employees need to address gender inequalities in sectoral policies and local governance.

Thanks to the commitment of the Ministry of Finance, the Provincial Secretariat for Finance and other stakeholders, Serbia is among seven European countries that have been recognised for their best practices in GRB, as noted in the 5.c.1 Sustainable Development Goals Indicator Report.

One recent step forward was marked by the introduction of methodology for tracking and measuring unpaid work, under the scope of the Gender Equality Law. This also requires all local governments to identify unpaid labour and essential support services. Has this initiative led to any noteworthy good practices?

— The recognition of unpaid household labour in the umbrella Gender Equality Law, along with the obligation for its regular tracking and valuation, is a major milestone.

We conducted a Gender Analysis of the Economic Value of Unpaid Care Work in 2020, which revealed that unpaid household work accounts for 21.5% of Serbia’s GDP. This highlighted its critical importance to the development of society and the economy.

However, it is still too early to assess the full impact of this measure, as unpaid household work and its unequal distribution are deeply rooted in societal norms and gender role stereotypes.

The Gender Equality Law recognises unpaid household labour, which accounts for 21.5% of Serbia’s GDP, underscoring its importance for societal and economic development

Through our activities, we are working directly to raise awareness of the negative effects of these stereotypes, but such change is a long-term process.

A positive shift is visible among younger generations, with more young fathers actively participating in childcare.

Employers also play a crucial role in supporting women who are burdened with unpaid work, and it is encouraging to see an increasing number of companies introducing measures like flexible working arrangements, remote work and part-time options.

This year’s International Care and Support Day (29th October), marked the launch of the first national campaign urging women to stop doing unpaid work for a day to advocate for a more equitable distribution of such tasks between men and women. How would you assess the impact of this campaign on Serbian society?

— In previous years, the UN Women office in Serbia implemented various activities addressing the care economy, including piloting innovative services across the country and promoting the equitable sharing of caregiving responsibilities.

However, this was the first time we organised a national campaign calling women to action to collectively highlight the fact that women spend over four hours a day on unpaid work—far more than men.

This limits the ability of some women to participate in the labour market, hinders career advancement or leaves little time for personal wellbeing.

These issues impact everyone in society, which is likely why the campaign resonated strongly with the public.

To ensure this effort has a lasting impact, we must continue raising awareness of the importance of equitably distributing unpaid work and work towards its institutionalisation.

Only societies in which women enjoy full rights and equal opportunities for employment, earnings and education can expect sustainable prosperity and improved quality of life for all citizens.

According to the Serbian Ministry of Family Welfare, only 373 men in Serbia took paternal leave in 2022. Do you believe this is due to stereotypes among young men or the attitudes of employers, who also discourage women from taking such leave?

— The low number of men taking paternity leave in Serbia can be attributed to multiple factors, including societal stereotypes—not limited to young men—as well as obstacles posed by employers and the inadequate availability of social protection and caregiving services for children, the elderly and individuals with developmental challenges or disabilities.

Although research consistently shows the benefits of the active involvement of fathers in their children’s lives, in many societies, including Serbia, there remains a deep-rooted stereotype that childcare is primarily a woman’s responsibility.

Aligning legal frameworks with international standards is essential to address the gendered nature of violence, which disproportionately affects women

While these attitudes are changing slowly, many young men still feel societal pressure to prioritise paid work over caregiving or to view themselves as the main breadwinners, which makes them less likely to take parental leave.

If they work for employers who lack supportive policies, are unaware of existing mechanisms or hold prejudices, it’s no surprise that men are less motivated to take parental leave.

Although no country has completely resolved these issues, Scandinavian nations have achieved notable success. To increase this number in Serbia, changes are needed at both the legislative level and in societal attitudes and business practices.

Despite some positive advances, we face disheartening statistics on the prevalence of domestic and public violence against women each year. Why are we not seeing better outcomes despite significant efforts among NGOs and legislative amendments?

— Traditional cultural norms and patriarchal behaviour remain deeply ingrained in Serbian society, contributing to the prevalence of gender-based violence against women in both private and public spaces.

This environment sustains a culture in which such violence is often tolerated or justified.

Deeply entrenched understandings of gender roles foster a culture of silence and undermine the effectiveness of existing legal measures and protection mechanisms.

There is also the “dark figure” of unreported violence, as victims often refrain from reporting due to fear of stigma, shame, lack of support, economic dependence, fear of perpetrators and mistrust in institutions.

There is a need for ongoing societal awareness campaigns and the establishment of a standardised system for data collection and sharing on all forms of violence in order to improve institutional effectiveness.

Harmonising legal frameworks with international standards to recognise the gendered nature of violence, which disproportionately affects women, is essential.

Furthermore, transparent and stable funding for policies, measures and support services provided by institutions and women’s NGOs must be ensured.

Addressing these challenges and achieving lasting change requires sustained advocacy, education and increased funding for multisectoral approaches.