World Learning STAR Network Serbia

STAR Network Serbia

While World Learning STAR Network no longer has country-specific programs for Serbia, Serbian women and organizations are key partners in its activities. STAR's Regional Anti-trafficking Mobilization for Prevention worked with the NGOs Esperanca in Novi Sad and ASTRA in Belgrade to increase regional knowledge and collaboration. The staff of Esperanca also contributed to drafting anti-trafficking Advocacy Modules for use by Zonta clubs throughout Europe.

STAR Serbia coordinator Aleksandra Vladjesavljevic, discusses the issues with Linda Tar-Whelan, US Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

STAR Network Serbia coordinator Aleksandra Vladjesavljevic discusses the issues with Linda Tarr-Whelan, US Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

In the past, STAR's Serbia program provided extensive technical assistance, training, and financial support to local initiatives that built confidence and capacity among NGO, trade union, party, media and business women to work collaboratively on political skill development and cross-sector issue actions. The information below outlines STAR's past efforts in Serbia.

Women's Economic and Political Agenda and Support Issue Action Campaigns

A specific women's economic and political agenda for Serbia is being developed through a participatory planning process, involving women from all sectors and different parts of Serbia. The agenda will contain specific action strategies by sector that will include party platform discussions and amendments, a research agenda, a media strategy on success stories, economic policy advocacy, and a program for skill training in self-employment, business planning, and marketing.

Political Program

Advocacy Trainings for Women Political Leaders



	Team-building exercise during the advocacy training in Palic, March 1-4, 2001.

World Learning STAR Network organized an advocacy training for women politicians on March 1-4, 2001, in Palic, Vojvodina. The event trained twenty-four women from the political parties that were active in pre-election campaigns, as well as activists from women's NGOs active in pro-electoral campaigns. Gordana Stojanovic and Bojana Genov, advocacy trainers from Croatia, were invited to deliver this training. Soraja Sokovic, an expert from the Serbian NGO CESID, delivered a session on parliamentary procedures and constitutional and legal provisions. This helped women to improve their understanding of the Serbian legislative system and introduced them to viable opportunities for lobbying and citizen participation.

Additional training sessions will be provided upon the return of Serbian graduates of the School for International Training's Summer 2001 International Policy Advocacy Program. STAR Network will organize a follow-up workshop where concrete strategies and action steps for advocacy campaigns will be devised.

Workshop on Gender Issues for Men and Women Leaders

STAR Network is planning a unique workshop, STAR Steps, on gender equality and political participation for women and men from civil society, trade unions, business, and the public sector. Through joint teaching teams and active participation, women and men will explore the link between democratization and gender dynamics.

Starting in May 2001 in major cities of Serbia and Vojvodina, STAR Steps aims to

sensitize women on gender issues;
empower women to take an active role within trade unions;
increase the number of women at decision-making levels within trade unions;
encourage women to organize through women's sections or women's forums;
educate women on how they can use their knowledge and stand up for their rights (especially at the workplace);
foster networks among women from different trade unions and stress the importance of cross-sector solidarity among women.

The first training of STAR Steps' trainers was held in Lepenski Vir on May 3-6, 2001. Ten women from trade unions and 12 women from political parties formed five teams of trade-unionists and six teams of women in political parties that will deliver at least 60 one-day training sessions across Serbia during Summer 2001. STAR Steps draws upon the pool of trainers from Women Can Do It, a program of the Gender Task Force of the Stability Pact, and other local projects.

Economic Program

Research on Women's Economic and Social Position in Yugoslavia

STAR Network has supported a team of local experts affiliated with the Center for Entrepreneurship and Management and SCAN Polling Agency, Novi Sad, to conduct the first research ever on Serbian women's economic and social status. Based on 2,200 interviews with women in Serbia and Montenegro, the new data on women's economic and political status and the dynamics of gender inequalities is already being used for concrete enhancement of women's economic and political empowerment.

February 2001 follow-up to the STAR Network Regional Conference
Belgrade, February 2-4, 2001



Milka Puzigaca, presenting preliminary research results at the February 2001 conference in Belgrade.

STAR Network organized a follow-up to the June 2000 conference in Porec, Croatia, to assess the results of the conference and to develop a Serbia-specific strategy and realistic next steps for women's economic advancement.

The conference presented preliminary findings of new research entitled "Economic and Social Position of Women in Yugoslavia." Fifty participants articulated a joint platform, which will guide their future cross-sectoral policy advocacy and economic development efforts:

"We, the participants of the conference on the economic and social position of women in Yugoslavia, have concluded that we, as women, are one of the most vulnerable social groups in the economic and social sense, particularly in the light of the process of transition and economic transformation in Serbia and Montenegro. Hence, we advocate for urgent and significant improvement of women's status in the labor market, in business, and in politics, by means of the following steps:

Creation of accountable institutional mechanisms for gender equality;

Revision and consistent implementation of laws;

Insistence on the design and implementation of socially just national strategic economic plans which are inclusive of women;

Access to professional development and/or job retraining;

Education of women for entrepreneurship and public work; and

Credits for women's entrepreneurship and creation of funds which can guarantee such credits.

We have agreed upon concrete actions through which we will achieve these objectives as well as upon the mode of our joint work."

The key outcome of the conference is the formation of six working groups, which will elaborate on strategies for the improvement of detected problems regarding women's economic and social position: (1) lobbying group; (2) trade union group; (3) group for training for entrepreneurship and consulting; (4) group for microfinance institutions; (5) group for campaigns, women and media and (6) group for the analysis and revision of social policy.

Advocacy Training for Women Experts in Economic Issues



Trainers Bojana Genov and Gordana Stojanovic from Croatia at the February 2001 Palic training.

In February 2001, Gordana Stojanovic and Bojana Genov, a team of advocacy trainers and activists from Croatia, offered an intense training in advocacy skills to support successful campaigning of women economic experts from Serbia. Training modules included needs assessment and goal definition, strategy development, effective lobbying, SWOT analysis, data collection methods, campaign organization, team work improvement, and the importance of media and evaluation.



	Economic advocacy training participants discuss future steps in small groups. Palic, February 2001.

Marijana Pajvancic and Soraja Sokovic, experts from CESID, prepared materials on parliamentary procedures and constitutional and legal provisions that can help women advocates understand the Yugoslav and Serbian legislative system.

International Policy Advocacy Training for Women from Serbia

The participation of four women politicians and civil activists from Serbia at the School for International Training's International Policy Advocacy Program in June 2001 and their in-country practical training will double the number of women in Serbia who have strong skills and are active in teaching public policy advocacy.

Small Grants Program for Cross-Sectoral Issue Action

The Small Grants Program directly supports the implementation of the women's political and economic agenda. It is instrumental in supporting more marginal and isolated groups and serves the purpose of leveraging funds from other sources. The STAR Network Serbia office provides technical assistance to all applicants every Tuesday. Over the first four months of the program, STAR Network assisted more than 50 women's initiatives. In April 2001, the first two small grants were approved, while another ten were under review.

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