CBI's Contributions to International Women's Day Celebrations
Women in even the most peaceful settings are often the most marginalized among a country's population. Yet, women all over the world, often with minimal assistance, are expected to accept the challenge and burden of fostering tolerant and productive families and communities. CBI is providing the type of support that women in Macedonia need to help them more effectively meet that challenge and to make them more informed participants at all levels of Macedonia's affairs.
The following highlight CBI's efforts to support increased women's participation and decision-making within Macedonian society. CBI is supporting these specific activities in celebration of International Women's Day on March 8th to remind Macedonia of women's largely untapped productive and political potential.
CBI and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are supporting the Tetovo Women's Network, which is undertaking a variety of initiatives. These include a street march, lectures and discussion on topical women's issues with prominent community leaders, as well as a reception organized to facilitate the further development of the year-old Network. In 2002 with assistance from CBI and the OSCE, nine NGOs established the Network to help women's NGOs and informal groups prioritize and collectively address women's needs.
In southwestern Macedonia, a coalition of women's organizations known as the Regional Women's Network has decided to focus its efforts on lobbying for the establishment of gender equality boards within targeted municipalities in the region. The purpose of the boards is to ensure women's access to information and opportunities, as well as their participation in community and local government decision-making. The Network, which was formed in 2001 with support from CBI, has decided to launch its newest initiative on International Women's Day with press conferences in the municipalities of Bitola and Resen.
In western Macedonia, CBI is supporting the Debar Women's Center, a coalition of ethnic-Albanian, Macedonian and Turkish women. Coalition members are engaging their communities in discussions about women's roles, stressing the connection between women's rights and human rights. CBI is providing support for the production of printed materials that will be used in this community outreach campaign to show that the role of women in society is currently at odds with human rights standards and to promote positive change.
In eastern Macedonia, CBI has supported the development and production of a play to combat domestic violence. The play, which is being performed in eight municipalities across the country, was developed to show that violence against women is present in all communities in Macedonia, that such violence occurs without respect to cultural, political or religious differences, and that it is unacceptable. The first performance was staged on February 8th. Seven additional performances are scheduled for the month of March to promote dialogue about the issue of violence against women and to hopefully prevent its occurrence.
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