“I have a say, too!” - OSCE initiative helps women drive the change they seek
To create a space for open discussion of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues in Serbia, the OSCE Mission to Serbia launched the network “I ja se pitam” (“I Have a Say, Too”) in Novi Pazar, southwest Serbia in 2023. The network, made up of women from all sectors of the city with different political, ethnic, or religious affiliations, meets monthly to discuss current issues and challenges from a gender-responsive perspective. The network consists of 73 women who have participated in 12 monthly discussions on topics such as urban planning and infrastructure, women’s health, entrepreneurship, safety and security, education, elections and gender-based violence since the network’s launch.
A network member highlighted that women are not always given the same opportunities as men, which leads to lack of equal representation in the public sphere, especially on the decision-making level.
The network gives women of Novi Pazar a chance to make their voices heard on issues like these and be the drivers of change they seek for their own communities.
Tackling key issues in the region
The initiative helps raise awareness of local issues from a gender-responsive perspective, creates a network of support and co-operation among women, and enables everyday women to directly impact decisions that are made about the community they live in.
The network publicizes proposals for improvement in a range of areas, from infrastructure and urban planning to education and health, through the media and conversations with local authorities, with the ultimate aim of creating a happier and healthier community.
As an example, the network proposed initiatives for improved mental health, such as the provision of therapy sessions for employees of the public sector or the availability of school psychologists for students to consult on a monthly basis.
Another proposal made by the network offers ways to resolve traffic congestion in Novi Pazar by turning the city centre into a pedestrian zone, improving the public transportation system and introducing one car-free day per week in some of the central areas.
The network’s proposals are covered by the local media outlet “Free Media” for public awareness. Although municipal authorities have not yet implemented any of the network’s suggestions, a questionnaire based on issues identified by women in the network was presented to candidates in local elections in December 2023. Seven parties running lists in the local elections responded, outlining how they plan to address issues that matter to women in the community, and four of those parties received mandates in the local elections.
Ruth Grossman, Project Manager at the OSCE Mission, hopes that the public awareness will lead to accountability as local media will be able to follow up on whether the candidates have followed through on their promises.
Expansion of the initiative
The Mission originally designed the I ja se pitam initiative with the goal of enabling women to drive positive change directly in relevance to their needs and those of their communities. The 2023 pilot initiative was successful in creating an engaged group of women citizens who developed recommendations for authorities and strategies for action.
Due to this success, the Mission decided to boost the initiative in 2024 by including experts and decision-makers in the monthly meetings to engage directly with network members. The Mission also expanded it to the Prijepolje Municipality with the aim of creating sister-networks throughout southwest Serbia.
Amela Bajrović, the network facilitator, shared that the initiative’s biggest success has been the fact that they have been able to show women that their opinions matter.
The Mission’s work through I ja se pitam is an important part of its commitment to fostering gender equality in line with the conclusions of the Independent Evaluation of the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality (2018-2022). By empowering local women to learn and share their ideas, thereby having a say in their communities, the Mission continues to assist Serbia in achieving the commitment made by all 57 OSCE participating States at the 1999 Istanbul Summit to make gender equality “an integral part of [their] policies”.