UN Women regional director meets with women’s civil society organizations in Serbia

Photo Credit: Zoran Petrović

Open dialogue hosted by NGO Atina highlights shared priorities in advancing gender equality.

Belgrade, October 8, 2025 - NGO Atina hosted an open dialogue between the UN Women regional director for Europe and Central Asia, Belen Sanz Luque, and representatives of women’s civil society organizations from Serbia. The meeting provided a space for open discussion on the current state of gender equality, the challenges faced by women’s organizations, and the opportunities to strengthen cooperation and support in the coming years.

The dialogue began with a welcome and introduction by Marijana Savić, founder and director of NGO Atina, who shared insights about the organization’s 22-year-long work in supporting women and girls who survived trafficking and gender-based violence. Belen Sanz Luque emphasized the importance of continuous and direct communication between UN Women and women’s organizations on the ground, recognizing their role as key drivers of social change and gender equality in the region.

Women’s organizations speak out: priorities, challenges, and shared goals

Representatives of Serbia’s women’s organizations, Biljana Stepanov, director of the Center for Support of Women and President of the SOS Vojvodina Network, Biljana Janjić, executive director of Femplatz, Biljana Maletin, representative of the Women’s Platform for Development, and Milica Borjanić, Secretary General of the National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS), including Atina’s representatives Marijana Savić and Jelena Hrnjak, shared their experiences, challenges, and priorities in the current political and social climate.

The discussion highlighted several urgent issues an backlash against gender equality and an increasing public hostility toward feminist and human rights organizations; suspension of strategic and normative frameworks on gender equality threatens to roll back years of progress; lack of sustainable funding for organizations providing vital services and leading advocacy efforts; growing pressures on civil society and a shrinking space for human rights defenders, especially women activists.

Marijana Savić and Jelena Hrnjak, program manager of Atina, presented Atina’s experience in protecting and empowering women survivors of trafficking and violence, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to trauma-informed, survivor-centered approaches. They also underlined the urgent need for long-term, predictable support to sustain such services.

Strengthening solidarity and cooperation

The meeting, facilitated by Milana Rikanović, Head of the UN Women office in Serbia, reaffirmed the shared commitment of UN Women and women’s civil society organizations to continue working together toward equality, justice, and the protection of women’s rights.

“Open and honest conversations like this are essential,” participants agreed, “because they help us understand each other’s realities and build stronger alliances in the face of rising challenges.”

The event concluded with a joint message: advancing gender equality requires sustained cooperation, solidarity among women’s organizations, and stronger institutional partnerships.