Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia

Serbia has made significant strides in terms of advancing gender equality, but recent efforts to weaken or revoke crucial laws and strategies are worrisome and could undermine the gains made so far. The EU is committed to supporting continued progress

Serbia’s legislative and institutional framework for the protection of women’s rights and gender equality is broadly in place, but recent initiatives aimed at thinning this framework and even repealing key laws and strategies are a matter of great concern, says Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia. “We are closely following related developments, as women’s rights are part of what we call the fundamentals that are essential for success on the EU path and are thus central to accession negotiations”.

The 2021 adoption of the Law on Gender Equality and the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination marked a significant step towards aligning Serbia’s legislation with the EU acquis, explains our interlocutor, noting that further alignment with European standards is nevertheless necessary. “In June 2024, the Constitutional Court suspended the adoption of certain acts derived from the gender equality law, particularly regarding gender-sensitive language, prompting an ongoing constitutionality assessment. This suspension risks undermining the law’s implementation and eroding the progress achieved so far,” says Ms Halacheva.

She adds that additional efforts are also required to enforce obligations like the integrating of a gender perspective into educational materials, combating gender stereotypes in public discourse and collecting sex-disaggregated data. Notably, Serbia still lacks official statistics on femicide, which is a critical shortcoming.

What measures has the EU delegation to Serbia encouraged to ensure the adoption and effective execution of gender-sensitive policies across Serbian institutions and governance structures?

— The EU has systematically supported gender equality in Serbia. So far, through our cooperation with UN Women alone we have allocated more than four million euros for projects aimed at improving the legislative and strategic frameworks in Serbia; for the introduction of a gender perspective, i.e. gender mainstreaming in various sectors and public policies, as well as for the implementation of local initiatives aimed at the economic empowerment of women, their inclusion in the labour market and combating gender stereotypes.

The Constitutional Court suspended parts of the Gender Equality Law in June 2024, particularly regarding gender-sensitive language, which raises significant concerns about its implementation and progress

— The EU Delegation actively engages with civil society organisations (CSOs) in implementing, monitoring and evaluating initiatives to advance women’s and girls’ rights. This collaboration ensures the inclusion of diverse perspectives, reaching women from ethnic minorities and rural areas, as well as women with different abilities. Recognising civil society’s vital role in upholding EU values and promoting democratic governance, the EU also partners with the National Convention on the European Union and other CSOs to monitor reform progress and raise awareness around gender-sensitive policies. We also continue to advocate the active engagement of civil society in policy making by means of systematic and genuine cooperation and public consultations.

Could you share with our readers some successful EU-funded programmes or initiatives that have empowered women in Serbia significantly, and how these have impacted women’s participation in various sectors?

— The main vehicle for EU support in Serbia is through the targeted action: Support to Priority Actions for Gender Equality in Serbia – Gender Equality Facility (GEF) II, implemented by UN Women in partnership with the Coordination Body for Gender Equality and the Ministry of European Integration. Building on the success of GEF I, this programme works to integrate gender considerations across sectors and strengthen administrative capacities for implementing EU and national gender equality commitments. It also supports the development and execution of key national strategies.

The EU additionally funds numerous grassroots initiatives. For instance, a project led by the Centre for the Support of Women in Kikinda focuses on enhancing specialised services for victims of sexual violence in Vojvodina.

This includes fostering a multisectoral approach to gender-based violence, especially for vulnerable women and girls. Another example is the “Civic Engagement Local Hives” project by the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and Fem- Platz, which empowers women and youth to access their rights and expand civic engagement.

The EU also supports the STORM project (Strong Resistance Movement of women human rights defenders), implemented by the Autonomous Women’s Centre, which protects survivors of gender- based violence and their children. These are just a few examples that demonstrate our holistic approach to bridging gender equality gaps in Serbia.

What are the main challenges you’ve encountered in promoting gender equality in Serbia; and what opportunities do you identify for further advancing this cause?

— The high prevalence of discriminatory attitudes and gender-based violence, including domestic violence, verbal violence against women, including by public figures, cases of obstetric violence and rising cyber violence are a matter of grave concern. Serbia still lacks reliable official statistics on femicides, and overall sex-disaggregated data and statistics are lacking in several domains, which hinders gender equality efforts. The definition of rape in the Serbian criminal code is yet to comply with the Istanbul Convention, and a more comprehensive overall response is needed to all instances of violence against women covered by the Convention. Support services for survivors, primarily run by CSOs, often operate on limited budgets and rely heavily on donor funding, from the EU or other sources.

Upholding values like equality and human rights is essential for EU membership and requires ongoing effort from both the Serbian government and society

Media representations contribute to perpetuating gender-based violence and stereotypes, particularly in their portrayal of femicide victims and women in leadership roles. Women’s underrepresentation in politics and electoral campaigns, as noted in the OSCE/ODIHR report, further underscores systemic issues.

Cultural norms also play a role: only 25% of Serbian women own property, reflecting gender-biased inheritance practices. While both maternity and paternity leave are legally mandated, societal expectations disproportionately place childcare and domestic responsibilities on women, who work an average of 2.5 hours more daily on unpaid care compared to men. This is one of the largest gender gaps between Serbia and the EU-27.

How does gender equality tie into Serbia’s EU integration aspirations, and what benchmarks or conditions related to gender equality are considered crucial for this process in future?

— The universal values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, are the cornerstone of the European Union; they are deeply rooted in the EU’s DNA and set in stone in our founding treaties. They transcend every policy area in our member states and in our relations with external partners. Unfortunately, at the global level, the past decade has shown us that hard-won progress is not irreversible and that nothing can be taken for granted.

For EU membership candidate countries like Serbia, upholding those values is a prerequisite for advancement in accession negotiations. Upholding them is often challenging, as it requires efforts not only of the government, but of the whole society. This is why we need to constantly engage with governments and citizens to promote and nourish pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men.

Achieving true gender equality requires a multifaceted approach that involves not only legislative measures, but also cultural change, education and the active participation of all stakeholders. The commitment to gender equality is not only a matter of justice, but also a prerequisite for a prosperous and inclusive society within the European Union.