Contributed by: Biljana Brankovic, Serbia National VAW Monitor

The Gender Equality Machinery (Council for Gender Equality within the government of Serbia) has begun the process of preparing a National Action Plan, based on the Beijing Platform.  The Council proposed the following six areas to be covered in the National Action Plan:

1. Violence against Women
2. Women and Economy (labor market)
3. Women and Decision-Making
4. Women and Education
5. Women and Health
6. Women and Media.

Upon finalization (in September 2006), the Council will submit the Plan to the government of Serbia, which should adopt it. By the end of December 2005, the Council sent an invitation to women’s NGOs and representatives of the non-governmental sector in Serbia to apply as candidates to participate in the consultative process of preparing the Plan.  Preparation of the National Action Plan for Women has been supported by UNIFEM and UNDP.