Tradition, Culture, Equality: Connecting minority women in Serbia
Despite their contrasting professions and life stories, Musicologist Milina Sklabinski, Engineer Erka Viljačik and Professor of Slovak Language and Literature Zdenka Valent-Belić are all members of the National Council of the Slovak National Minority in Serbia.
Milina joined the Council because of her passion to foster Slovak culture; Erka became a member to pursue an interest outside of engineering; and Zdenka joined to help increase the number of Slovak youths attending Slovak language classes in Serbian schools. What brings them together is their shared desire to contribute to the Slovak community in Serbia, whose population from the last census taken in 2011 was just over 50,000.
All three women were selected to participate in a five-day OSCE-organized summer school entitled "Tradition, Culture and Gender Equality", which took place from 16-21 August in Kladovo, Eastern Serbia. The summer school brought together 15 minority women leaders, from 10 of the 20 National Minority Councils in Serbia. The summer school’s goal was to provide a forum for the women to share experiences from their minority communities, and to stress the importance of gender equality and gender mainstreaming in their various minority councils’ activities.
In 2002, the Serbian Government, with the support of the OSCE, adopted legislation permitting official representation of national minorities through national minority councils. These councils represent national minorities in four fields: culture, education, access to information, and the official use of their languages.
This has resulted in various activities that support the protection of minority rights. For example, Milina was involved in establishing the Institute for Slovak Culture through her role on the council. It organizes cultural events ranging from art gallery openings and festivals to concerts and plays that celebrate Slovak culture.
Sharing good practices and co-operating to solve mutual problems in this way may be more effective as we are all part of minorities and can relate to each other.
The summer school gave female minority council representatives the chance to meet, share experiences, and collectively solve the challenges they face. Among the lecturers was Zilka Spahić-Siljak, the co-ordinator of the summer school and a regional expert on gender and ethnicity.
“We have to be proud of our ancestors who fought for women’s rights, a legacy that goes back centuries. Rather than taking these rights for granted, constant work to uphold, nurture and improve gender equality is needed. We have a responsibility for future generations; we cannot stop here” said Zilka.
All three women realized how useful the networking opportunity was, and decided to suggest further co-operation between women in national minority councils and the OSCE Mission. As the school’s co-ordinator, Zilka, said, “Where else can a woman from the Bulgarian National Minority Council meet a woman from the National Minority Council of Croats?”
“Sharing good practices and co-operating to solve mutual problems in this way may be more effective as we are all part of minorities and can relate to each other,” said Milina.