The A 11 Initiative took part in the recently concluded Advocacy Week in Brussels, marking the sixth time our organization has participated in the major advocacy activities of the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in the field of women’s rights.
Our organization was represented by Milica Marinković, who presented the current situation regarding economic and social rights in Serbia to delegates from European Union bodies and partner organizations.
During the exchange with EU representatives, Marinković placed particular emphasis on the violation of the rights of vulnerable citizens through the implementation of the Social Card Law. Owing largely to the monitoring and reporting conducted by The A 11 Initiative, this issue has been mentioned in the European Commission’s reports for the last few years.
Our representative also informed participants about pressures and mechanisms of labor rights violations affecting employees in Serbia’s education sector, particularly in secondary schools and gymnasiums. She also raised the current issue concerning the status of employees at Belgrade Pharmacy (Apoteka Beograd), who have been working for a year without receiving their salaries and amid concerns about a potential concession takeover.
Representatives of international bodies expressed interest in the problem of the abuse of marginalized groups, particularly in the context of pre-election periods. In this area, The A 11 Initiative has been actively monitoring the treatment of Roma women and men, especially with regard to the exploitation of children and young people.
We also exchanged information with participants about the situation of internally displaced persons and other multiply marginalized groups, with a particular focus on women. One of the meetings important for our advocacy efforts was with the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, which took place in a productive and optimistic atmosphere.
The A 11 Initiative would like to thank the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation for yet another opportunity to participate in advocacy processes at the international level and to strenghten partnership within the civil society sector. We will continue working to protect the economic and social rights of the most vulnerable groups and to strengthen our own capacities to respond to what appears to be a growing number of cases we are handling – an indication of the overall state of affairs in our society.
Photo: Johanna de Tessieres
