Roundtable Rouses Support for Greater Regional Cooperation on Gender Equality in the Western Balkans
Date:
Tirana, 26 September 2018 – For the first time in Albania, the Deputy Prime Minister, Senida Mesi, hosted a Regional roundtable on gender equality in cooperation with UN Women.
Representatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo[1], Macedonia, Moldova and Serbia gathered to share their experiences and challenges with implementing their National Gender Mechanism. This is a key tool to help countries meet their international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
To ensure that positive action on gender is integrated across all levels and sections of public administrations, participants agreed that National Gender Mechanisms must be placed within the highest possible level of Government, preferably in the Prime Minister’s office.
Mrs. Mesi, who is also the National Coordinator for Gender Equality, said that Albania will soon have a coordination unit for strengthening its National Gender Mechanism. This unit will support the national gender coordinator’s work, and deepen collaboration with donors and partners.
Participants also stressed the importance of improving regional cooperation among National Gender Mechanisms within the region and countries further afield. A regional network platform was seen as a strong tool to increase leverage and advocacy among national governments on gender equality issues.
[1] All references to Kosovo on this website shall be understood to be in full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).