Women politicians and NGO representatives briefed on OSCE Mission's gender equality work
(OSCE/Milan Obradovic)A delegation of Iraqi women paid a visit to the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro to learn about its work in gender equality, Belgrade, 31 August 2005. (OSCE/Milan Obradovic) Photo details
BELGRADE, 31 August 2005 - A group of 16 women politicians and NGO representatives from different ethnic and religious groups in Iraq visited the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro yesterday to learn about mechanisms for institutionalizing gender equality and specifically about the Mission's experience.
The Iraqi women had been invited formally to Serbia and Montenegro for a week-long visit by the Chairman of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Bojan Kostres. They spoke also to several gender focal points in Serbian municipalities.
At the meeting with the Head of the Mission, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, the Iraqi group described the gender equality situation and the position of women within the current political, economic and inter-ethnic relations in Iraq. They expressed great interest in the current situation in Serbia and Montenegro.
"I am certain that you can learn a lot from Serbian example, as democratic principles are universal and can be applied everywhere", said Ambassador Massari. "In the last few years the OSCE assisted in establishing several institutional mechanisms for gender equality in Serbia and Montenegro both at national and local levels", he added.
The group included members of the Iraqi National Assembly, members of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament, the Director of the Women Leadership Institute from Baghdad and representatives of Iraqi civil society.
Their visit to Serbia and Montenegro was facilitated by the US-based International Republican Institute. Besides seeing the OSCE Mission, the group had meetings with the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality, the Governmental Council for Gender Equality, and the Vojvodina Secretariat for Labour, Employment and Gender Equality.
The Iraqi women had been invited formally to Serbia and Montenegro for a week-long visit by the Chairman of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Bojan Kostres. They spoke also to several gender focal points in Serbian municipalities.
At the meeting with the Head of the Mission, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, the Iraqi group described the gender equality situation and the position of women within the current political, economic and inter-ethnic relations in Iraq. They expressed great interest in the current situation in Serbia and Montenegro.
"I am certain that you can learn a lot from Serbian example, as democratic principles are universal and can be applied everywhere", said Ambassador Massari. "In the last few years the OSCE assisted in establishing several institutional mechanisms for gender equality in Serbia and Montenegro both at national and local levels", he added.
The group included members of the Iraqi National Assembly, members of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament, the Director of the Women Leadership Institute from Baghdad and representatives of Iraqi civil society.
Their visit to Serbia and Montenegro was facilitated by the US-based International Republican Institute. Besides seeing the OSCE Mission, the group had meetings with the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality, the Governmental Council for Gender Equality, and the Vojvodina Secretariat for Labour, Employment and Gender Equality.