OSCE Mission to Skopje promotes gender equality at the local level

SKOPJE, 31 October 2006 - Women now have more opportunities to participate in decision-making at the local level, thanks to an OSCE-supported two-year project that concluded today.

The project established 15 Gender Equality Commissions (GEC) in municipalities and helped equip commission members with the skills they need to foster gender equality.

At a closing conference today, government officials, GEC members and mayors shared project achievements and lessons learned, as well as their plans to further strengthen gender equality at the local level.

"Any democratically functioning community needs women to participate in the decision-making processes at the local level. We are pleased to see growing co-operation between the central, local government and civil society on this issue," said Ambassador Natalya Drozd, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.

"The activities of this project are consistent with the OSCE's Gender Action Plan adopted by all 56 OSCE participating States."

The project, run by the non-governmental network Union of Women's Organizations and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, also contributed to the implementation of the country's National Action Plan for Gender Equality.

The U.S. Government also supported the project.