Gender Task Force

Stability Pact Gender Task Force Regional Meeting
February 10-11, 2001

The Gender Task Force under the Stability Pact, Working Table One, had its Regional Meeting on February 10-11, 2001 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The meeting, which was chaired by the GTF Chair, Sonja Lokar, included governmental and non-governmental representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro (FRY), Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Greece, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia. In addition, several high level representatives were present, such as, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Robert L. Barry, Norwegian Minister, Grete Fossum, and the Directorate General of Human Rights from the Council of Europe, Olaf Olofsdottir.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the activities of the GTF in 2000, as well as, to present the new projects that the GTF plans to undertake in 2001 and present a booklet entitled "A Continuum of Empowerment: The ëWomen Can Do Ití Programme in South East Europe". The booklet archives the implementation and results of the ëWomen Can Do Ití programme in the countries of South East Europe.

The first day of the meeting consisted of a closed Working Meeting, which gathered together GTF governmental and non-governmental focal points, GTF Advisory Board members and partner organisations. The primary issue of discussion was the future co-operation between the Gender Task Force and the CEE Network for Gender Issues. At the conclusion of the meeting, which occurred on the following morning, all members signed an agreement detailing future co-operation between the two organisations.

On the second day of the meeting Sunday, February 11, a Formal Meeting took place. The purpose of this meeting was to present the current situation in each of the Stability Pact countries, as well as, to present the new projects that the GTF will implement in 2001. Ambassador Barry gave an opening statement in which he noted the vital importance of the GTF to the empowerment of women in the region. The Ambassador noted that in the three years that he has spent in the region as Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, nothing made him prouder than the work of the SP Gender Task Force. By far, he continued, the use of the ëWomen Can Do Ití programme by the GTF has done more than any other organisation in the region to increase the number of women in parliament. The Ambassador also stressed the need of governments to provide financial support for the continuation of the important work of the SP GTF in the coming years. Special guest, Grete Fossum, also addressed the participants. The Chair of the GTF, Sonja Lokar, then proceeded to address the pending issues from 2000 as well as to discuss the new projects of the GTF for 2001. Governmental and non-governmental followed the Chairís presentation with individual country reports, which entailed a short presentation of the previous and future gender related activities in their respective countries. In addition, the Norwegian Minister Orheim pledged 270.000 EURO to the SP GTF projects. The meeting concluded with the presentation of the booklet "A Continuum of Empowerment: The 'Women Can Do It' Programme in South East Europe" and a press conference.