At the first multisectoral social dialogue on the state of gender equality, held on 18 January 2021, Minister of Justice Maja Popović noted that the adoption of the National Gender Equality Strategy and the corresponding Action Plan for its implementation was a milestone in that especially important area where the Ministry of Justice had been given an important role.
‘In order to promote gender equality, the Ministry of Justice will continue to be actively involved in campaigns and awareness raising activities on harmful effects of violence against women, to work towards educating holders of judicial office, to encourage cross-sectoral cooperation, to undertake activities aimed at ensuring uniform practice, in order to provide women ― as predominant victims of violence ― with adequate protection and support,’ the Justice Minister said at the event organised by the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue at the Palace of Serbia, which many ministers as well as representatives of the United Nations entities, and national institutions attended.
Reflecting on the news about actress Milena Radulović and owner of an acting school Miroslav Mika Aleksić, the Justice Minister stressed that she supported all victims of violence, while respecting the presumption of innocence. ‘It is important that the media also cover the outcome of the proceedings in question, and that we all contribute to the overall prevention of violence against women,’ she said.
The Justice Minister noted that a key challenge for the Ministry of Justice was the provision of psychosocial support to girls and women victims of violence and human trafficking, and to those people who were marginalised on multiple grounds.
This sensitive topic has also been covered by the revised Action Plan for Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) where the Ministry of Justice will be given a bigger role in terms of supplementing the existing and developing new strategic and normative documents.
In the Ministry of Justice, women account for 76.19% of staff, whereas the percentage of women in the bodies belonging to the Ministry is as follows: the Penal Sanctions Enforcement Administration – 28.3% (with 32.5% of women in managerial positions), the Directorate for the Administration of Seized Assets – 33.3%, and the Administration for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities – 60%. The share of women in courts of general jurisdiction and courts of special jurisdiction is 69% and 76.3%, respectively. As for other judicial professions, women account for 56% of public prosecutors, 56.3% of notaries, and 41.9% of bailiffs.