Skopje, 5 March 2026 (MIA) — Addressing Parliament's "Women’s Rights and Opportunities: Achievements and Perspectives" session ahead of International Women’s Day, President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova said there was a surge in domestic violence in the country, noting over 4,700 cases in 2025 and four femicides in early 2026. She described the situation as a "defeat for institutional prevention."

"It is terrifying that every March 8th we tally new victims, present the latest statistics, debate policies, adopt strategies, while pointing out the same problems," the president said, recalling the recent deaths of a woman and child in a fall from a Skopje high-rise, which were preceded by a domestic dispute. 

In her speech, she criticized the justice system and police as "passive accomplices" for failing to intervene in long-term domestic abuse cases. 

According to Siljanovska Davkova, the moment a woman reports abuse is critical. If she is met by a police officer who offers empathy and security, she will find the courage to fight. However, if she is greeted by an officer who views insults and domestic violence as "normal" or a standard part of the community, she will lose hope and continue to suffer. 

Because of this, the president noted, trained police, social workers and judges are either life-saving rescuers or passive accomplices to the crime.

"Haven't we learned that femicide is not just a sudden burst of anger? It is the end of a long, painful cycle of psychological pressure, manipulation, torture, fear, uncertainty and despair," she said, asking how much longer would the community mourn victims after it was too late instead of preventing these deaths and protecting families in line with the Constitution.

She asked why the police, prosecutors and the judiciary remained immune to warning signals. She also criticized the practice of downgrading the legal classification of these crimes, leading to suspended sentences for abusers instead of the maximum penalties allowed by the Criminal Code.

"Why is the rule of law often replaced by the rule of violent men?" she asked, noting that international agreements like the Istanbul Convention mean nothing if they are only "declarative commitments."

The head of state also recalled that over half of the country’s researchers are women but their intellectual potential was often blocked from being fulfilled through decision-making roles. 

According to her, female participation in government is more than just a numbers game. She said it was a sign of a mature society. When women’s empathy, professional knowledge and sense of responsibility are integrated into leadership, the resulting policies have "greater analytical depth, ethical sensitivity and social sustainability," she said.

"Policies are not abstract norms, but concrete mechanisms that shape the conditions of life: home, education, security, economic security and everyday well-being," the president said.

She urged the public not to let Women's Day be merely about bouquets and polite speeches. "The roses that make the room pretty today will lose their freshness tomorrow," she said, adding that one day of attention was no substitute for "a stable, functional and fair system that provides permanent security," she said.

Siljanovska Davkova highlighted that women's fight for equality was built on the critical thinking and action of pioneers like Mary Wollstonecraft and Rosa Luxemburg. "Progress is won not through symbolic gestures but through critical thinking and action," she said, reaffirming the state's commitment to building a decent and safe country that protects women's rights and dignity. mr/