Seminar “Gender Equality and Social Role of Women in Serbia”, November 23-25, 2012, Country Club Babe, Serbia (organized in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation Belgrade).
The seminar had three panels: Gender Equality and the Social Role of Women in Culture, Gender Equality and the Social Role of Women in Politics and Gender Equality and the Social Role of Women in Religious Communities.
The morning session, on November 24, was reserved for the panel on Gender Equality and Social Role of Women in Culture. Speakers in this session were Dr. Ivana Kronja, lecturer in mass media aesthetics at the Fine and Applied Arts College in Belgrade, Ms. Jasna Dimitrijević, director of the Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation (Belgrade), and Ms. Branislava Ilić, dramatist. Ms. Bojana Bursać was moderator in this panel.
After presentations the moderator opened the floor for discussion. Presentations provoked a very vivid and more than 60 minutes long discussion where other participants expressed their ideas on the role of women in culture and media and how the present situation, which is far away from satisfactory one, could be improved.
The second panel, Gender Equality and Social Role of Women in Politics, took place after the lunch brake. The speakers were Ms. Mirjana Kotlajić from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ms. Elvira Kovač, National Assembly Deputy and Ms. Irena Cerović, executive director of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence. Second panel was moderated by Ms. Jelena Jablanov Maksimović.
The panel was concluded with a very insightful discussion in which both the panelists and the rest of the conference participants took part. Some participants raised the question of are there any opportunities for women’s participation in politics in cases when they do not belonging to any political party? Some positive examples in this respect were named, but it was agreed that these are more exceptions than the dominant rule. Participants also made comparisons between gender equality in politics in Serbia with the one in the region and the EU.
The third panel, Gender Equality and Social Role of Women in Religious Communities, started on November 25. Keynote speakers of the third panel were Ms. Gordana Jocić, editor-in-chef of the radio “Zlatiousti” and Ms. Marijana Ajzenkol, founder of the Interreligious Centre in Belgrade. Third panel was moderated by Ms. Danijela Marković, the secretary general of the Institute for the Study of Culture and Christianity.
All participants expressed their desire to continue discussing and working together toward promotion of the gender equality in Serbia at various levels. They also proposed activities for the future and highlighted the importance of conferences and seminars of this kind, since they do not only help in mapping the problems and finding solutions, but enable personal contacts between women who are active in very different areas and institutions. Proposals were made to include women in science and sports in one of the next meetings, and to include men as well in discussing the gender equality question.
Participants also expressed their hope that this initial gathering shall be continued by an informal meeting in following months.
The seminar was officially closed with concluding remarks of Ms. Jelena Jablanov Maksimović, Dr. Davor Džalto and Ms. Danijela Marković.
Participants:
Branislava Ilić, dramaturg
Gordana Jocić, Editor-in-chief, Radio Zlatousti
Danijela Marković, Secretary General, Institute for the Study of Culture and Christianity Elvira Kovač, deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
Erna Juković-Hajrović, member of Muslim community
Dr. Ivana Kronja, film and media theoretician
Irena Cerović, Executive Director, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence
Jasna Dimitrijević, Director, the Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation
Dr. Jelena Erdeljan, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade
Jelena Jablanov Maksimović, Konrad-Adenauer Foundation Belgrade
Marija Salom, member of the Jewish Community
Marijana Ajzenkol, Interreligious center, Belgrade
Merima Arifi, member of Muslim community
Mirjana Kotlajić, Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Serbia
Slađana Dugonjić Del Castillo, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence
Bojana Bursać, Institute for the Study of Culture and Christianity
