Practical lessons of past European disasters

The subject of the paper is the necessity of paying attention to practical lessons of the past European disasters in order to improve adequate responses of today. The main goal is to show possible ways of improving resilience of the countries and regions by implementing the principle of “build it better”, not only to domain of construction building, but also to societal relations. The method is critical analysis of the past disasters, e.g. the European tsunami that happened about eight thousand years ago, the Little Ice Age that occurred at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century, the hurricane of 1674 in Northwestern Europe, and the Great Storm of 1703. There are presented relevant recent international documents which advocate the strengthening of preventative measures and the development of communities and nations resilience, in relation to the consequences of disasters, combined with the current gender theory demands. The most significant result of the paper is raising risk awareness that disasters do not always hit “others and other continents”, but could happen in Europe too. As the paper’s implication, there is also stressed the necessity of different societal organization, based on gender equality and inclusion of all citizens as actors in risk management efforts

Local knowledge on the local ownership principle in Serbia

This paper presents the way of functioning and implementation of the local ownership principle in situations where the support of local knowledge during the process of establishment of gender equality mechanisms is lacking. Gender equality mechanisms were part of the package of international organizations’ influence over the process of democratic institutional reform in Serbia. The whole process is based on a numerous international documents that incite and justify the establishment of institutional mechanisms for gender equality at all levels of government: national, regional and local. The experience and knowledge of Western countries has contributed most to the process of formulating gender equality mechanisms and their subsequent functioning in Serbia. The lack of local knowledge production regarding the essence and role of the local ownership principle in the creation of gender equality institutions is permanent in Serbia. The concept of "learning sites", i.e. external actors becoming familiar with an internal situation has barely been applied in Serbia. The so-called "glocal" period of deep intermingling of both local and global elements did not happen. The authors argue that there was no essential "localization" of gender equality mechanisms based on domestic knowledge, and that both foreign and domestic actors are responsible for this situation: External actors because, apart from Western theory and experience, they are unaware of and/or neglect local knowledge, regardless of whether they consider it non-existent or inferior in comparison to the knowledge of Western countries. At the same time, domestic actors became quickly satisfied with the comfortable position of secondary lead stakeholders, with a role of transmitters and users of foreign concepts. They did not take advantage of the opportunities provided by the local ownership principle and did not pretend to take on either the role of creators or of relevant knowledge holders of policy-based public policies and practices

Open Access Journals in Serbia: Policies and Practices

This study is the result of the project Revisiting Open Access Journal Policies and Practices in Serbia, funded through the EIFL Open Access Programme. The project was implemented by the Serbian Library Consortium for Coordinated Acquisition – KoBSON between 22 March 2016 and 22 January 2017

Disaster Risk Reduction - Gender Aspects

The subject of this paper is the gender aspect of the disaster risk reduction concept. A natural phenomenon in itself is not a disaster, but it becomes when it strikes a vulnerable community, a group or individuals without proper defence who have no ability to resist or to repair its negative effects. lt causes material damage and human losses, possible interruption of the economic and social functioning of the community. The threat of disasters is a matter of overall human security and implies bringing into question the safety of life, housing and economy, food, water, energy, health, and environmental safety. The aim of the paper is to point out that disasters are not a 'natural' inevitability, since they are the result of natural risk factors and human vulnerability, in which gender-based inequalities are a constitutive component. Consequently, disaster risk reduction processes that include prevention, mitigation and preparedness for response in all phases should have a necessary gender perspective, with the aim of increasing disaster resilience. Such an approach is based on the knowledge of the risk management, capacity building and the use of information and communications technology, as well as the analysis of existing gender relations and the need to change unsafe discriminatory practices in the field. Namely, the opportunities available to women and men in fact are not the same even in 'normal' circumstances, not to mention the emergencies. There is a gender division of jobs, unequal access to material and non-material resources, lesser participation of women in decision- making at political and private levels, women's exposure to gender-based violence and various forms of discrimination. The conclusion is that building resistance to disasters, empowering women and community development necessarily represent elements of unique, but not separate, efforts

Žene preduzetnice – mogućnosti i ograničenja

Predmet rada analizira mogućnosti i barijere specifične za žensko preduzetništvo u situaciji kada još uvek sedamdeset procenata fakultetski obrazovanih mladih oba pola, u Srbiji i regionu, svoju budućnost najradije vide u sigurnosti državne službe, a ne na vetrometini sopstvenog privatnog biznisa punog rizika. Rodne uloge u današnje vreme nisu strogo podeljene što se ogleda i u činjenici da sve više žena stupa u preduzetničke profesije i koje su doskora izgledale kao rizične, rezervisane samo za muškarce. Činjenica je da danas u Srbiji ima dosta uspešnih žena preduzetnica, ali ima i onih koje su doživele poslovni brodolom, kao i onih koje se na životnim raskrsnicama još uvek kolebaju da li da pođu tim putem. Rad obuhvata i autentična, najnovija iskustva samih preduzetnica iz press clipping-a iz 2017 godine, iz fokus grupe i intervjua vođenih u martu 2018. Na osnovu toga sledi da preduzetnice doduše dobijaju rodno specifične podsticaje (npr. državni programi za žensko preduzetništvo), ali nailaze i na rodno specifične barijere. U radu su prezentirane tipične, rodno zasnovane prepreke ženskom preduzetništvu: nedostaci poslovnog ambijenta nenaklonjenog ženama, problemi u kreditiranju žena, rodne uloge i stereotipi, nedovoljna podrška porodice i okoline, lične ženske sumnje, strahovi i osećaj krivice. Ukazuje se i na administrativne prepreke, ne retko u sprezi sa manje vidljivim, ali ne manje opasnim, kriminogenim faktorima

Istanbul Convention – obligation or needs

The Istanbul Convention is an internationally legally binding document that represents a turning point in the fight against violence against women. The most important element of this Convention is the obligation of States to act with due diligence - with due regard to the prevention, detection, prosecution and sanctioning of violence against women. Harmonizing domestic legislation with the standards of the Convention, the obligation that Serbia took over by ratification, which also caused the adoption of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence. This is the first step, but obviously, not enough. There is an improvement of practical dealing with gender-based violence acts, as well as preventing and raising awareness on unacceptability of violence in contemporary conditions. The trend of its omnipresence is very visible. However, there still are many EU countries that have not yet ratified this convention, while in some it has led to serious polarization in society. The public in Serbia has mostly not being informed that this convention exists. There is a contradiction of the great idea of advocacy in fight against violence against women and vulgarization of dealing with terminological dilemmas and rigidity. It seems as some situations of normative erosion are repeated. Engrossed with formalism, we ratify and pass a series of laws that mostly remain as "dead letter on paper" without true commitment in real use

Učešće žena u oružanim snagama savremenog doba

U tekstu se izlaže učešće žena u savremenim oružanim snagama kao globalna pojava sve većih razmera koja sve više menja vojske. Konstatuje se da od kada su žene počele sedamdesetih godina dvadesetog veka da ulaze u vojsku sa punim vojnim, profesionalnim statusom, tako da je istorijski obrazac maskulinog ekskluziviteta oružanih snaga doveden u pitanje. Ovaj proces je po jednim skepticima transformacija čak dublja od uvođenja nuklearnog oružja, a po drugima potencijalno pretećeg karaktera za nacionalnu odbranu. U tekstu se izlaže istorijat žena u vojskama, njihovo učešće u oružanim snagama svetskih ratova dvadsetog veka, kao i pojedinačna iskustva zemalja sa istaknutom proporcijom žena u sastavu svojih oružanih snaga, američko, švedsko i izraelsko iskustvo. Konstatuje se da žene u sastavu savremenih oružanih snaga sveta ne predstavljaju više privremenu promenu. Ma kakav ponegde još uvek bio neravnopravan status vojnikinja, ma kako profesionalno segregirane i kulturološki diskriminisane, žene više nisu zanemarljive u vojnoj organizaciji. Njihove uloge se sve više šire, do ukidanja poslednjih zabrana učešća žena u borbenim dejstvim

Primena principa lokalnog vlasništva: Od viktimizacije do osnaživanja žena

Predmet rada je ukazivanje na moguće postojanje sukoba između poštovanja principa lokalnog vlasništva i programa rodne ravnopravnosti međunarodnih aktera, u situacijama postkonfliktne izgradnje mira pod kontrolom predstavnika međunarodne zajednice. Lokalne vlasti mogu smatrati da učestvovanje žena u sektoru bezbednosti u njihovoj sredini nije sociokulturalno prihvatljivo. Cilj rada je da se ukaže na prividnost tog sukoba jer se rodnoj ravnopravnosti ne protivi ni stanovništvo, a pogotovo ne žene. Žensko aktivno učestvovanje u izgradnji mira i okončanju nasilja i sukoba od suštinske je važnosti za postizanje mira, opšte bezbednosti i prestanak dalje viktimizacije žena. Podržavanje postojeće strukturalne rodne nejednakosti nastavlja da proizvodi nasilje sprečavajući uspešnost reformi sektora bezbednosti i temeljniju demokratizaciju društva. To ilustruju konkretni primeri viktimizacije žena seksualnim i drugim oblicima rodno zasnovanog nasilja, tokom i posle sukoba. Zaključak je da je proces izgradnje mira destabilizovan lakim izbijanjem oružanih sukoba i održavanjem trajnih žarišta viktimizacije žena i njihove diskriminacije

Gender Aspects of Natural Catastrophes/Disasters

During recent decades, international humanitarian organizations and the governments of countries affected by natural catastrophes/disasters and climate change have highlighted the fact that more women lose their lives and suffer other effects of such events than men. This disparity in victim numbers is a phenomenon that is caused by – and inherently linked with – the unequal socioeconomic status of women. In alleviating disaster risks, women and men are limited to the roles and responsibilities they are afforded at home and in society. Gender roles constructed in an exclusive manner result in different personal and group identities and potentials, social responsibilities, behaviours and expectations. Thus, gender-based differentiation leads to gender inequality in all socio-economic processes, including different roles and opportunities: reductions in vulnerability and disaster risks, improved disaster management, anticipation of possible damages, and recovery from these. Due to all these differences, it is clear that women and men must participate equally in determining ways to reduce the risks of a disaster at the community level (national, regional and international) without discrimination and exclusion. The inclusion of gender experts (and aspects) in the development of gender-sensitive policies and program guidelines should be ensured. This creates a valid prerequisite for gender equality while reducing the risk of catastrophes/disasters and climate change and making community-based adaptation more effective. It is necessary to integrate gender sensitive aspects/criteria into the initiatives and processes of planning, designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating risk reduction programs and projects. In order to adapt to climate change and mitigate the consequences stemming from this, but also to reduce the risk of catastrophes/disasters, parameters must be established pertaining to the needs and interests of women. These needs are a prerequisite for supporting women’s independent initiatives and for the financing of environmentally-friendly technologies for the sustainable use of natural resources

Migrantkinje

Globalna migratorna kretanja nisu pojava u kojoj učestvuju samo muškaraci i ona danas nisu bez žena, njihovog iskustva i specifičnosti viktimizacije. Permanentni porast broja žena migrantkinja, jedna je od karakteristika savremenih migracija poslednjih decenija, što se odnosi i na Srbiju. Ujedno sa porastom njihovog broja, raste i svest da su one ujedno i izbeglice od rodno zasnovanog nasilja. Zato je i ovogodišnja Nacionalna konferencija o nasilju nad ženama i devojčicama, identifikovala upravo migrantkinje, među posebno ranjivim grupama žena u Srbiji. Nezaštićene su, i kada se kreću u porodičnim skupinama, jer su tada izložene porastu porodičnog nasilja od strane muških članova porodice, frustriranih putnim tegobama i neizvesnošću. A kada su same, tek tada su žrtve mnogih, kriminalaca, krijumčara, drugih migranata, istih ili od njih različitih nacionalnosti, ali i pripadnika međunarodnih humanitarnih organizacija i državnih institucija sektora bezbednosti. Podaci upućuju da država retko ili uopšte ne procesuira pokušaj silovanja ili slično nasilje, već samo ubistvo, a u pogledu partnerskog nasilja ili nasilja u porodici, praksa se razlikuje od slučaja do slučaja. Migrantkinje doduše, sve više prijavljuju nasilje, ali institucionalni sistemi još uvek nisu adekvatno responsivni