Skopje, 4 October 2023 (MIA) - Deputy PM for good governance policies Slavica Grkovska met Wednesday with UN Women Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Elisa Fernández Saenz. Head of the UN Women Office in the country Vesna Ivanović-Kastared also attended the meeting.

Deputy PM Grkovska extended gratitude for the overall support from UN Women to the activities of the Office for Good Governance Policies, especially in terms of anti-corruption policies and strengthening the role of women in the fight against negative phenomena in society. 

The Deputy PM stressed it is important that the policies created are long-term and sustainable, because it is the only way to achieve visible and efficient results.

"The Deputy PM highlighted the great contribution of the UN Women Office in North Macedonia in establishing the SEE Women Leaders Forum for Good Governance and Anticorruption, as a regional initiative for networking of women and young people from the region, exchange of experience and mutual support in efforts to build a better society for all, by incorporating the principles of equality, integrity and responsibility," Grkovska's Office said in a press release. 

Saenz welcomed Grkovska's initiative, pointing out that it is a very good idea to form a network of women who share similar views, i.e. to build a critical mass of women's leadership that leads forward.

Interlocutors agreed to deepen cooperation around this initiative and connect it with similar networks in the world, in order to strengthen the whole process and make it more visible and vocal.  

"Participants in the meeting agreed it is important to create policies and legislation aimed at promoting the position of women in all spheres of society, as well as to create efficient mechanisms that will monitor the implementation of the adopted policies," reads the press release. 

Grkovska and Saenz also tackled the issue of corruption in sports from a gender perspective and agreed on further cooperation on intersectoral topics where gender equality, youth and corruption are connected, because women and young people are the driving force of social change and development.  

Photo: Good Governance Policies Office