Serbia to become one of world’s most gender-balanced governments

Serbia’s proposed new-look authorities is among the many world’s most gender balanced, with ladies named to half of ministerial posts.

The lineup, introduced Sunday, propels the Balkan nation to the brink of the worldwide high 10 for gender equality — a problem that has sometimes been increased on the agenda of western European international locations. Still, critics say that even with the appointments, President Aleksandar Vucic will name all of the pictures and girls stay under-represented in native politics.

Serbia was already one thing of an outlier. Vucic chosen brazenly homosexual Ana Brnabic because the nation’s first feminine prime minister in 2017, whereas the posts of parliament speaker and central financial institution governor are additionally held by ladies. Almost two-fifths of the legislature’s 250 seats are held by ladies, nearing a illustration goal set earlier than the June basic election.

After a convincing victory in that vote, Vucic referred to as for a “revolutionary” change as he introduced Brnabic’s re-appointment.

“Thus we’d represent our country in the best possible way and show, not in words but with action, how gender equality works in practice,” he mentioned.

Brnabic raised the proportion of girls within the authorities up from a fifth. Some of the brand new arrivals embody ladies main ministries for economic system, justice, vitality and mining, environmental safety, labour, tradition and human rights. Parliament is anticipated to approve the cupboard within the coming week.

Vucic’s opponents say loyalty trumps gender in a rustic that’s dominated by his Serbian Progressive Party.

With the shifting gender stability of the brand new parliament and authorities pushed by the president, relatively than by Brnabic, there’s “every reason” to query whether or not it’ll deliver “essential change” in equality, mentioned Tanja Ignjatovic of the Autonomous Women’s Centre in Belgrade.

“In Serbia, women remain under-represented in local governments — as heads of municipalities or mayors,” Ignjatovic mentioned. “Very few of them are in the diplomatic corps and there are hardly any in security affairs.”

Vucic has countered that girls are “equally competent, even more competent to perform the most important state jobs.”

The principal drive of Brnabic’s authorities has been to advance Serbia’s plan to affix the European Union this decade. At the identical time, the nation has been locked in a standoff over its refusal to acknowledge its neighbour Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Belgrade in 2008, a decade after the 2 sides fought the final warfare within the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia.

Speaking at a joint press convention with Brnabic on the occasion headquarters on Sunday, Vucic mentioned that the brand new authorities will proceed present insurance policies.

(This story has been printed from a wire company feed with out modifications to the textual content.)

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