The members of the National Assembly’s Women’s Parliamentary Network met with Finnish MP Elisabeth Naucler to discuss the problems women engaged in international security and European diplomacy come up against, how to set up a parliamentary oversight mechanism over the government’s European affairs and the role of MPs in raising awareness on the importance of women’s participation in diplomacy and conflict resolution.
The Finnish MP said how pleased she was to be visiting Serbia after its parliamentary elections which, she opined, had gone very well from the aspect of positioning and political representation of women. She also congratulated the Parliament on the election of a woman Speaker. Conveying the experiences of the Finnish Parliament’s Women’s Parliamentary Network, Elisabeth Naucler informed the members of the National Assembly’s Women’s Parliamentary Network about the rulebook the members of the Finnish Network follow in their activities.
Stefana Miladinovic, coordinator of the Women’s Parliamentary Network, stressed this was the very first term of office for many of the Network members whose energy and enthusiasm, she hoped, would further the Network’s efforts and help it achieve its goals relating to the oversight over and application of the existing laws relevant to women’s health and education, combating violence against women and economic empowerment of women. She announced that MP Aida Corovic would be paying a study visit to Prijepolje where she would be learning about the work of the local gender equality committees and the situation in the Municipality of Prijepolje as regards women’s participation in politics, in a series of meetings.
The meeting was also attended by the Finnish Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Pekka Orpana who said he was very happy to be able to show support to the Women’s Parliamentary Network on the behalf of his country, adding that he couldn’t have dreamed that the cooperation would give such good results.
The meeting was also attended by the Finnish Deputy Ambassador to Serbia Outi Isotalo and the President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence Sonja Licht, and on the behalf of the Women’s Parliamentary Network by MPs Gordana Comic, Olivera Pauljeskic, Velinka Tosic, Olena Papuga, Anamarija Vicek, Nada Lazic and Dr Vesna Rakonjac.