WOMEN AND SECURITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

Gender equality is, undoubtedly, an essential factor in the development of society. It improves productivity and economic growth, enhances the well-being of all societal groups and thus improves the development of society and future generations, as well as the efficiency of institutions. The emphasis on the importance of women’s role in modern society is being seen in all segments of life. One of them is defense and security. The active role of women in the creation and implementation of the security policy of the country is one of the aspects that leads to the realization of gender-conscious policy. In 2021 the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in North Macedonia published the Women’s study. The Republic of North Macedonia 2020/2021, an interdisciplinary study that gives a comprehensive overview of the position of women in Macedonian society and lays the foundation for further interpretation and analysis. This paper is focusing and analyzing specific data of the Women’s Study in order to measure, describe and explain the attitudes of the women population in the country toward security issues and their position on the involvement of women in security policies. At the same time, it outlines the challenges and measures that need to be taken in order to increase women’s participation and contribution to conflict resolution and peace processes.