Gender Equality in the Context of Development
12 February 2011, Zibija Dh-Šarenkapić“A society that is without the voice and vision of women
is not less feminine. It is less human." - Mary Robinson, UN
The legal framework of gender equality was declaratively and formally completed in Serbia by the adoption of the Law on Gender Equality. Serbia in the meantime ratified or signed all international documents stipulating the development and promotion of the human rights of women and anti-discriminatory practices, adopted strategies and action plans, established mechanisms. The legal grounds are in place, the legal obligation is unquestionable, and all we now need is clear political will at all decision-making levels to move from declarative and formal equality to real equality. The latter also entails sharing responsibility for the overall situation in the community.
This deliberation was directly prompted by the fact that good governance is one of the four areas of the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme – PROGRES, implemented in 25 municipalities in South and South-West Serbia. Good governance is inconceivable without good governance of human resources. Advancing the status of women in society and the development of the principles of gender equality and equal chances in all areas of public and private life is a developmental issue and it reflects the degree in which civilisation’s achievements and European values are integrated in a democratic society.
I understand good governance as responsible disposal of all natural and social resources in the best interest of community development. I also agree with the opinion that good governance is a way for citizens, politicians and institutions to cooperate and thus contribute to positive changes in the local community. I advocate the approach to development which will enable the involvement of women – half of the human resources of every local community – in the processes of democratic changes on an equal footing with men, the best use of their knowledge, skills and potentials. There can be no democratisation of society without gender equality, without men and women conducting social policies in real partnership.
Women account for 52% of Serbia’s population. They should not be perceived as a problem but as a resource that should be used, a resource that should be given the opportunity to contribute to faster economic progress of every local community. The following needs to be done to transform the potential of women in local communities into an available resource: social mechanisms for achieving gender equality and equal chances need to be established and developed (in accordance with the law); policies recognising the equality of men and women as the foundations of sustainable community development need to be designed, adopted and implemented in all areas of public and private life. In order to be able to rise to the challenges of the times, the women themselves need to work on building their capacities – further their knowledge and skills, boost their own competitiveness and raise awareness of themselves and their role in the community.
To recall: gender equality entails equal representation, power and involvement of both genders in all areas of public and private life; it entails the right to equality and the right to diversity. The biological differences between men and women are the only given; they are permanent and universal. Everything else is merely a social construct of male and female roles, of what society expects of men and women, depending on cultural, political, social, religious and other factors. One's attitudes on gender and one’s treatment of the other gender are acquired through learning and can change depending on social, religious and other factors. The right of women to equal treatment in a community is a fundamental human right and discrimination is politically unacceptable, cost-ineffective and punishable under the law.
The introduction of the principle of gender equality entails the (re)organisation, improvement, development and evaluation of policy processes, embedding gender equality in all public policies at all levels and in all stages of their design and implementation.
Gender equality is in the interest of all men and women and of society on the whole. This is why gender equality in the sphere of public and private life can be achieved only if efforts are invested by all the social stakeholders, from the local community, civil society organisations, institutional gender equality mechanisms (councils and commissions), to political parties, social partners and state institutions. Gender equality is therefore a cross-cutting theme and calls for diverse alliances and coalitions within a community.
Zibija Dh-Šarenkapić
Executive Director
Cultural Centre DamaD