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As shown in the table below, thanks to the efforts undertaken by the SP Gender Task Force (GTF), SEE women MPs percentage increased in the last few years and currently women MPs constitute a critical mass able to initiate gender sensitive reforms in key policy areas.

Women in National Parliaments

Source: GTF

For this reason, the SP Gender Task Force developed the SEE Women MPs Exchange Project with the aim of gathering SEE women MPs in order to develop common strategies and strengthen their expertise in key policy gender equality areas of relevance to European Accession. The project, funded by Germany, started in 2005 as a series of regional workshops were best practices and experiences could be exchanged.

Work method

The methodology used in this project has introduced a new way of working for MPs, to build up the role of the Committees, and to use regional events as a networking and information tool, which gives them resources to return with to the Parliaments.

First of all, before organizing a regional workshop, the GTF holds consultations with the Speakers of SEE Parliaments as well as with relevant Committee members. Preparatory Parliamentary hearings and/or national consultations with relevant actors (experts, NGOs, officials) and women MPs of different party backgrounds take place        prior to each workshop, in order to evaluate the current state of legislation in key fields such as the CEDAW[1]implementation measures, education, legislation aimed at promoting a better balance between work and family life, poverty reduction strategies etc. National reports, strategies and recommendations on the chosen theme are prepared and diffused among participants before every regional workshop. Women MPs and some representative of the civil society participate then to a two-day regional workshop in order to exchange experiences and best practices on a given issue as well as to learn about European standards. Following the regional workshops women MPs meet nationally to share experience gained, to transfer knowledge to relevant institutions and to encourage governmental and Parliamentary action on specific issues through specialised follow up meetings and/or hearings.          

All of these interventions aim to assist Parliaments to integrate a Gender sensitive approach in the ongoing process of the harmonization of legislation according to EU standards.

Past activities

Three regional workshops have taken place to date.

The first regional workshop took place on 28-29   October 2005 in Zagreb and focused on reconciliation between work and family life.

Under this heading, twelve MPs from nine SEE Parliaments and a number of Parliamentary and government experts examined various models and practices in South Eastern Europe and in EU Member States.

The second regional workshop focused on lifelong learning and took place in    Sarajevo on 24-26 February 2006. MPs from seven SEE Parliaments gathered to assess the progress made in integrating EU strategies for Lifelong Learning as well as good practices from EU member states in the implementation processes. Participants welcomed the inclusion of education issues in the Stabilization and Association Agreements and agreed on the need to increase the state’s budget for education.

The workshop was followed by the diffusion of numerous publications on the issue, stressing the importance of lifelong learning in the national context of each SEE country. 

The third workshop, devoted to the gender aspects of human security, was organized in Zagreb on 20-21 November 2006. Women MPs and representatives from civil society of ten SEE countries gathered together to discuss “ Gender aspects of human security”, focussing mainly on the efforts to combat violence against women, in particular in the framework of the Council of Europe pan-European campaign and on women’s participation in decision making processes.

Participants agreed on the need to improve the legislative framework as for the time being violence against women is only considered under Penal Law and Family Law. Moreover they considered that the issue of violence against women should not be tackled only by institutions and/or Committees dealing with gender equality, but also by complementary actors such as the Committees for Interior affairs and the relevant   Committees dealing with budget.

Even where the legislative framework is quite well designed, its implementation tends to be problematic. Parliaments could have a stronger oversight role in this regard, through the full use of instruments and tools such as oral and written questions, public hearings, better coordination and involvement of civil society.

Lessons learnt

The methodology applied for the organization of these workshops has proved to be very challenging to the Parliaments, but, at the same time, has demonstrated their high motivation to participate. Moreover not only it has really helped to improve communication among MPs and Parliamentary staff from the region, but it has also favoured an inclusive and bottom up approach between Parliaments, governments, experts and representatives of civil society, thus benefiting both vertical and horizontal accountability. This approach was presented to SEE Parliaments at the biannual PCTF meeting held in Bucharest on 15 November 2006, meeting with the approval of  SEE MPs and other relevant actors. Indeed it has been decided that in the future such an approach should be promoted also for the other Parliamentary cooperation activities promoted by the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe or by the region itself.

Related documents:

Link to the third regional workshop page

[1] All SEE countries have ratified the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. (CEDAW )