Brussels, 6 March 2024 (MIA) – Although the European Union shares the values for the promotion and protection of human rights, with a special focus on the rights of women, we must be aware that these issues aren’t closed and the fight must continue, said the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of good governance policies, Slavica Grkovska, in her address Wednesday at the "Women in Public Life" forum hosted by European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová in Brussels.

“Positive cultural changes are far slower than those we make with legal acts and through democratic institutions. That’s precisely why we cannot take the option to be tired or apathetic when it comes to the protection of rights and the struggle for fairer and more just societies. This means eliminating violence against women and girls, access to education and work, and equal treatment by the system and the society, but also representation in leadership, decision-making and influential public positions,” said Grkovska in her address.

According to the Deputy PM, victories won once do not mean that the forces of regression have been permanently defeated.

“The victories won once do not mean they are eternal and permanently defeat the forces that pull us towards regression. We are all aware that those anti-democratic tendencies, hostile to the principles of equality and human rights and freedoms are often revitalized in disturbing ways,” said Grkovska.

Grkovska stressed that despite obstacles of personal and professional nature, many women in public life have been exposed to pressures both in real life and online as a result of their fight against corruption and in an attempt to isolate them because they’ve dared to disturb the comfort of those “who have captures our societies for their personal interests”.

“In many places in the world, and especially the region I come from, this is a strong disabling factor for women where the traditional view of their role is still very much present and when the destruction of public reputation and professional integrity is still easy to happen when it comes to women,” stressed the Deputy PM.

She stressed that North Macedonia has made great progress in legal terms and is in aligned with European legislation on gender policies, noting that the country has progressed more than some EU member states in recent years.

“But, I also must remind that not so long ago we were witnessing regressions in these issues in our country, even deteriorating rights which many decades before were arranged in favor of women. This clearly shows that resilience is the key, and the commitment to preserve what we have achieved but also to constantly move forward to full and effective equality at all levels,” said Grkovska, adding that the EU plays an important role in the promotion of human rights in the candidate members.

The Deputy PM appealed to all members of the political life in the EU to keep protecting all democratic benefits through their actions, “because that’s the only way all citizens are protected,” she said.

“Keep in mind that the crisis of democracy is also a crisis of women’s rights. We must not allow the retrograde anti-democratic forces to cause a backslide inside the EU or in the countries that are still in the waiting room. Resilience at all levels is a must, but it’s crucial on the decision-making level,” concluded Grkovska.

In her introductory address at the forum, the European Commission’s Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, added that despite the fact there are more women in public life, there is a growing tendency for them to leave public life due to the constant risk of violence and hatred directed at them, especially online. She pointed to studies which state that as many as 85 percent of women in politics have been exposed to some kind of violence or hate.

The event was also addressed by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola; the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, among others.

The goal of the event was to highlight the importance of gender equality in decision-making, as well as to identify the challenges of women’s participation in politics, especially in the context of the coming European elections and to come out with concrete solutions to support women in public positions.

Фото: Скриншот