Women’s rights in Western Balkans get European parliament support

The European Parliament’s Committee for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) has adopted a resolution on women’s rights in the Western Balkans, proposed by Croatian MEP Biljana Borzan, the EU’s Rapporteur for Women’s Rights.

“This resolution is of great importance to me. I have made the women of the Western Balkans a priority for the European parliament for years, and I am very glad that most of my requests, which I have formulated in cooperation with a number of non-governmental organisations from the region, have been adopted,” said Mrs Borzan.

The initiative addresses the socio-economic factors impacting women’s rights: employment rate and pay/pension gap, quality of education, life-long learning, possibilities to combine work and family life and, closely linked to this, the political participation of women in society. The texts also analyse violence against women in the Western Balkans, including the increase in prevalence, reporting of cases and societal awareness. Furthermore, LGBTI rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights are discussed.

“This resolution refers to countries that have the ambition to enter the European Union,” Mrs Borzan added. “The data in these countries are devastating and such a situation is not acceptable. It is important to send a high-level message so that states who want to enter the EU know what criteria must be achieved.”