The Spouse of the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Ms. Maja Ivanova, addressed today the Women's session within the 16th Eurasian Economic Summit on "Women's Experience in the Process of Modernization".

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your Excellencies,

I have gladly accepted the invitation to take part at the Women's Session during the 16th Eurasian Economic Summit, organized by the Marmara Foundation. I extend my appreciation to the host of this Forum, Ms. Mujgan Suver, for her perseverance and determination to establish a separate women's forum within the Eurasian Economic Summit, dealing with topics particularly of women's interest.

I am pleased that, for the third year in a row, I have the opportunity to address this eminent forum and talk about women as active participants in social life.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As wife of the President of the Republic of Macedonia, I have had the extraordinary opportunity to become engaged in certain areas as patron or supporter of a variety of initiatives and actions. Without any hesitation, I have dedicated myself to women and children related activities to which I devote most of my time and energy. These activities give me energy and optimism that I can contribute and thus bring change. I seek inspiration in children's smiles and in creating conditions for their carefree childhood or in the countless success stories of women in every field.

Dear Attendees,

Today women are recognized as equal participants and contributors in all segments of public, economic, social and political life - in institutions, state and local government, politics, education, health system, judiciary, business, culture etc. They contribute in the overall social and economic development of the country. The creation of such opportunities for women is innate process, and, in the recent decades, this is recognized in the concepts of gender equality and creation of equal opportunities.

Gender equality is a concept that needs to be further developed, a concept that we strive to become a reality and ensure continuous improvement, with the main goal - to improve the status of women, i.e. to achieve gender equality and ensure equal opportunities. This process involves all government institutions and the civil society, including the international organizations which play particularly important role, through which most positive examples and practices at global level are recognized and enforced.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Balance in nature, regardless of our beliefs, shows that half of the world's population is women. Logical conclusion of the current situation should be that exactly that half of the world's population contributes for the half of the contributions in the global development process. However, the reality is different and no matter how we wish to interpret the current situations, the past reminds us that for many centuries women were in a subordinate position to men and that the equality between men and women is not yet a completed process.

Period which is most important for the awakening of public awareness for improvement of the status of women is the 1970s when the first World Conference on Women in the United Nations was organized and the proclamation of the Year of Women (1975), a period when the feminist movements emerged globally. During this period, women were seen from their position in terms of their contribution to the international development, which was based on the theory of modernization and was accepted by most governments and development agencies. This approach was extended in the 1980s when the status of women was considered not only in terms of their contribution to the development of the societies, but also in terms of their position in relation to men, recognizing the subordinate position of women and the unequal relations.

Within the largest global organization, several conferences were organized and several conventions and declarations dedicated to women were adopted. These documents committed the international community to improving the status of women and strengthening of their position in public and private life. UN member states are obliged to implement actions relating to areas of special interest to women – women's rights, education, health, economy, participation in decision making and many others. The goal was represented by women and was dedicated to women. The status of women is to be in accordance with their personal needs, parity especially in relation to the rights, benefits, obligations and opportunities, affected by the promotion of personal, social, cultural, political and economic equality for all.

However, modernization of woman does not only mean making decisions, platforms, action plans, but it means change of the concepts in our thinking, change in the traditional and conventional values and stereotypes, as well as change in encouraging and securing political acceptance will of such thinking. Modernization of women means first of all change of her way of thinking and understanding the concepts of gender equality. Moreover, it means social acceptance and providing equal opportunities for women and gender non-discrimination.

My country is a positive example in this regard. The legal regulations on equal opportunities, the adoption of the National Gender Equality Plan, the establishment of the Equal Opportunities Committee in the Parliament and many other examples speak of the existence of political will all reforms to be promoted and fulfilled. This is also a great progress in achieving gender equality, but we should not stop at this point. We should take every opportunity we have to ensure that women's rights are at hand and insured. Since modern woman means modernized society, society that will provide more successful examples of women leaders in every area.

Thank you.