Dubrovnik   -  Women in politics make a significant contribution not only to the politics in their own country but of the region as a whole, especially because European Integration portfolios are headed by women.  We must therefore make sure that the role women politicians play in these countries is widely known inside and outside of South Eastern Europe.  These are some of the conclusions of the First South Eastern Europe Women Ministerial Conference, which concluded in Dubrovnik today (6 July).

Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs, European Integration, Women and Gender from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Romania and Serbia met for the first time to discuss the role of women in politics and share their vision of Europe.

Addressing the SEE Women Ministerial Conference, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe Erhard Busek said that women politicians in South Eastern Europe also play a vital role in communicating Europe.  "Women politicians are all very passionate and this is what we are missing from the way we communicate EU affairs within the European Union today.

Addressing the conference on behalf of the Croatian Government, the co-hosts of the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor stressed that all countries in the region have now included gender equality in their national politics.  This has resulted in quite high participation of women in national politics, notably in her home country where one third of ministers are women and where women represent 21 per cent of MPs.

In their final communiqué, the conference participants praised the groundbreaking role the Stability Pact's Gender Task Force (GTF) played in the empowerment of women and gender equality in South Eastern Europe.  Moreover, they stressed the importance of GTF in their all-inclusive work with civil society, governments and parliamentarians.

Chair's Conclusions of the First SEE Women Ministerial Conference

List of Participants of the First SEE Women Ministerial Conference

For further information, please contact Stability Pact's Spokesperson
Mr Dragan Barbutovski at the SP Secretariat in Brussels
(Tel: +32 2 401 87 25 or press@stabilitypact.org).
___________________
PR2006/011