Objectives
Fund scope
When it comes to national commitment to achieve gender equality in Serbia, the government adopted crucial normative and strategic measures in 2021 support of gender parity and broad social development. Despite this existence of a normative framework that largely recognizes, regulates, and promotes equality, structural inequalities persist. According to national statistics, progress is slowing without enough targeted actions or adequate resources to effectively address the challenges women and girls in Serbia face. Gender-based segregation and inequality is structural and institutional, affecting all aspects of civic life: Education to the justice system, labour market to the STEM fields, at the household level, and even in digital spaces. Persistent and growing inequality for women and girls—especially those from historically marginalized groups (Roma, women living with disabilities, elderly individuals, and women from rural areas)—is thought to contribute to the 23,000 cases of sexual and gender-based violence reported each year in the country.
Violence against women and girls is a severe violation of their rights and consequence of gender inequality. As such, the Ending Violence and Empowering Change Joint Programme in Serbia targets primary areas of vulnerability to transform norms, practices, and behaviours that hinder the empowerment of women and girls and restrict their ability to make safe and independent decisions about their lives.
Stakeholders accelerate gender parity progress by implementing transformative programmes that improve institutional responses to violence, enhance women's health and well-being, and promote economic and career empowerment. All interventions involve engaging public and private sectors in integrating a gender perspective, strengthening women's leadership capacities and advocating for gender equality in legal systems and personal decision-making processes to drive social change.
Strategic framework and theory of change
By recognizing the root causes of gender inequality in Serbia stakeholders can address priority areas with the overarching goal of fostering a gender-sensitive environment where women and girls challenge traditional norms, have access to gender-sensitive, high-quality services, achieve economic autonomy, and actively participate in policymaking. This type of transformation can facilitate whole-of-society change and sustain significant socio-economic gains.
Building on results, knowledge, and lessons learned from the first iteration of this programme, stakeholders are leveraging this phase to accelerate progress towards SDG 5 achievement and support the implementation of international commitments and recommendations regarding elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls. This involves aligning programme action with the following UNSDCF outcomes:
- Outcome 1.3: Equitable economic and employment opportunities are promoted through innovation.
- Outcome 2.1: Universal and inclusive access to quality health, social and protection services is improved.
- Outcome 2.2: Skills, education and capabilities are enhanced to ensure equitable opportunities for all.
- Outcome 3.1: All people, especially the more vulnerable, benefit from the realization of human rights, gender equality, social cohesion, and enhanced rule of law in line with international commitments.
To address the root causes of gender inequality and challenge harmful norms and stereotypes, stakeholders ensure the legal-strategic framework on gender equality is implemented consistently and evenly throughout the country. Institutional and that organizational practices meant to contribute to gender equality will be rendered sensitive to specific needs of women and girls from vulnerable groups, while state and local institutional capacities will be enhanced to improve access to quality gender-sensitive services for survivors of S/GBV in Serbia.
Moreover, harmful practices and attitudes that lead to gender inequality, discrimination and violence against women and girls are tackled by transforming attitudes and behaviours about gender roles, as well as promoting cultural shifts. Economic and career empowerment is another important aspect of the programme to provide women and girls opportunities for gender-balanced and future-ready careers, by developing policies and programmes that address labor market inactivity and occupational gender-based segregation, alongside improving existing economic empowerment programs, conducting research on women's employment incentives, and providing tailored support services to women entrepreneurs.
> $55M 
$55M - $25M
$25M - $5M
< $5M
