President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova received today the Deputy Executive Director of the UN Agency for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, UN Women, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda.
At the meeting, opinions were exchanged about the progress achieved in the country in terms of gender equality, the effectiveness of strategies to combat gender violence, the opportunities for economic empowerment of women, increasing their representation in leadership positions, the challenges faced by women from marginalized communities, as well as for cooperation with UN Women.
The interlocutors agreed that the equal participation of women in policy-making, as well as in the areas of defense, security and international relations is essential for inclusive and sustainable development. In that context, it was emphasized that gender inequality is more visible at the local level, where women who aspire to leadership positions face numerous barriers arising from patriarchal values and gender stereotypes. At the same time, it was pointed out that larger investments are necessary in programs aimed at creating a fairer labor market, i.e. equality and equal opportunities between women and men in the labor market.
In order to promote gender equality and improve the status of women in all areas of public and private life, the President said that the country will continue to fully align the national strategic documents with the Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 and Goal 5 for Sustainable Development: Gender Equality
In the conversation with Gumbonzvanda, President Siljanovska Davkova stressed her full commitment to raising awareness of gender equality issues and expressed support for initiatives that improve the overall status of women in Macedonian society. She expressed confidence that close cooperation with UN agencies and UN Women will continue and deepen in the future, with the aim of ensuring gender equality among the priority tasks of the national agenda.
