OSCE Mission to Skopje supports efforts to raise awareness of women's rights

SKOPJE, 14 July 2009 - Judges, public prosecutors, Ombudsman office staff and attorneys will participate in a series of OSCE-supported training sessions that aim to raise awareness of women's rights and improve the justice system's handling of related cases.

Participants will learn how to handle gender-based discrimination cases in accordance with the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, its Optional Protocol and national legislation in the field of gender equality.

The series of training sessions are supported by OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje. The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is the Mission's strategic partner in the project.

"Equal rights of women and men and the protection of their human rights are essential to peace, sustainable democracy and economic development - and therefore to security and stability - in the OSCE region," said the Acting Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Natalya Drozd.

Xhelal Bajrami, Minister of Labour and Social Policy, added: "Real democratization is not possible without inclusion of women and men on a full equal basis in all social spheres. I hope this training course will also provide additional recommendations for promoting gender equality and the necessary institutional mechanisms."