On the occasion of March 8 – International Women’s Day, President Stevo Pendarovski sent the following message:
Today, when we commemorate the decade-long struggle for social, economic and political equality of women, let us remember that every woman has the right to free choice for her body, family, education, occupation, work, career, development, political action and participation in public life.
No society can develop if half of the population is excluded from that development. We must advocate for greater political participation of women, a greater number of women in leadership positions, to implement policies in which we will plan the needs of women, budgets that will have the gender dimension. To create a social environment that will allow more women to be included, not excluded.
If we want to build a modern, open and democratic society, we need to do more for equal opportunities for women and men, and leave inequality, discrimination and chauvinism in the past. Victims of gender-based violence must receive justice. We need to fight loudly and decisively, both strategically and tactically, against gender-based violence, for which there must always be a just solution.
It is time to create a society where women do not have to constantly make superhuman efforts to realize their potential.
The fight for equality must not stop. Happy March 8!
