Taking a closer look at the conference aiming to empower and connect women leaders
Today, the Women’s CEO Summit organized by Color Media Communications was held in the company of women from the state administration, diplomatic corps in Belgrade, media, cultural institutions and marketing agencies. Those present had the opportunity to be part of a very authentic experience because the conference program included a handful of interesting and important topics. We had a unique opportunity to learn more about the non-traditional model of leadership, see and hopefully understand why women are leaders who bring not only empathy to every system, but stronger cooperation, better communication, a more effective approach to problems and challenges with the implementation of innovative solutions. The conference was realized with the support of the United Nations Population Fund in Serbia (UNFPA) and the companies Chenot Escape One & Only Portonovi, Coca Cola Serbia, British Motors and Dahlia.
The conference was opened with speeches from Nina Mitić, Assistant Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Brankica Janković, commissioner for equality and Nataša Mihailović Vacić, secretary for culture of the City of Belgrade.
Nina Mitić, Assistant Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue said that in the previous period, the Republic of Serbia worked dedicatedly to improve gender equality – from the adoption of the Law on Gender Equality in 2021 and accompanying by-laws, through the provision of incentives for the development of entrepreneurship by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture, and benefits for the purchase of an apartment for mothers with children, to the registration of rural farms and property for women living in rural areas.
Women’s rights are human rights, they apply to both men and women, there is no separation, we don’t need new divisions
“However, circumstances in the world are changing, which also affects the position of women. In a new report by the World Economic Forum, it is estimated that women will not equal men for another 131 years, and the global trend of improving the position of women has, according to all reports, slowed down. This trend did not bypass the Republic of Serbia either, which, according to the report of the World Economic Forum on the state of gender equality from 2021, fell from 19th to 23rd place. It is ranked best when it comes to the participation of women in political life, where it ranks 21st. However, according to the criterion of women’s involvement in economic life and their economic opportunities, it fell from 54th to 77th place in the world. Progress has been recorded in women’s access to education, and according to that criterion, it is in 37th place,” Mitić said.
Brankica Janković, the Commissioner for Equality pointed out that solidarity and support are key in the further success of women and that such conferences are a good opportunity to foster good relations and additional networking.
“Women’s rights are human rights, they apply to both men and women, there is no separation, we don’t need new divisions. Today, women are in different positions, in different domains, but that is still not enough. We still need to work on an even better business environment that will eliminate patriarchal mechanisms,” Janković pointed out.
Nataša Mihailović Vacić, the Secretary for Culture of the City of Belgrade said that for the further improvement of the position of women in the field of culture, when we talk about strategic documents, it is very important to adopt the Strategy of Cultural Development, on the basis of which the culture of state administration and local governments must be based. We lack that new strategy, and I see it as a place where we can especially start responding to the needs of women in culture that arise from inequality.
“The adoption of the Action Plan for the implementation of the new Prevention and Protection Against Discrimination Strategy is in progress. Given that women are recognized by this strategic document as a sensitive social group, perhaps the city itself should be involved in the creation of such an important document.”, she added.
Women’s Voice in Diplomacy is the first panel in which John Kennedy Mosoti, Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Serbia, participated, who at the beginning had a very interesting presentation on the topic Policies to Progress: Expanding Family Friendly Workplaces and Combating Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (Policies for progress: a greater number of family-focused workplaces and the fight against digital gender-based violence) and then he was joined in the panel by Milana Rikanović, director of UN Women in Serbia, Plamena Halačeva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, Monika Podsklanova Šuhajdova, Deputy Ambassador of Embassy of Slovakia in Serbia and Silvia Davidou, Ambassador of Romania in Serbia. Aleksandra Joksimović, director of the Center for Foreign Policy and former ambassador of Serbia in London, moderated the panel.
“As we strive for achieving full gender equality, it’s vital to promote critical issues like family-friendly policies and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The concerning fact that 78% of young girls in Serbia feel unsafe in digital spaces despite spending significant time online, highlights the urgent need to create safer digital spaces, which is exactly what bodyright campaign is about – states John Kennedy Mosoti, UNFPA Director for Serbia.
“Additionally, implementing family-friendly policies will alleviate the burden of unevenly shared care work, often placed on women. I am happy that we continue working with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and other partners, such as Austrian Development Agency, on developing a sound policy framework in Serbia, in our joint efforts not only to address gender inequalities but also support women’s participation and help narrow the gender gap in employment in Serbia”- adds Mosoti.
The guest speaker from Israel, Michal Lebenthal Andreson, co-founder of the Israeli fem-tech startup Impact51 and the company Think Creative spoke as a distinguished lecturer about the power of change and how to become the very change we are looking for. She inspired us not to give up on our goals, no matter how hard they seem.
CEO Talks: Business is the panel in which the participants were Dragana Orlandić, Dahlia, Danijela Gašparac, Telekom, Srbijavoz, Marija Matić, Direct Media, Violeta Jovanović, NALED i Marija Trivić, Media Support & Consulting d.o.o. Nataša Vulin, from Advertising Solutions, moderated the panel.
“Young women aspiring to leadership positions should focus on building confidence, seeking mentorship and honing their skills. They can overcome challenges by advocating for themselves, cultivating flexibility, and expanding and nurturing their support network. In addition, staying informed about industry trends and taking advantage of their unique perspectives can help to see different perspectives and ensure a sure path to leadership positions.”, as Dragana Orlandić, general director in the company Dahlia, pointed out.
Young women aspiring to leadership positions should focus on building confidence, seeking mentorship and honing their skills
CHENOT ESPACE, One&Only Portonovi was presented as a case study by the representatives of this company, Leonarda Dragić and Najda Đorđević.
Even lionesses who are determined to conquer the world need a break and a reset. Chenot Espace offers a transformative experience, optimizing your physical and mental abilities through detoxification and resetting of body and mind. This journey to well-being is made possible based on the principles of the famous Chenot Method, a practical framework that combines the latest scientific achievements of Western medicine and diagnostics with the best methods of Chinese and alternative healing.
For the CEO Talks: Communication panel, the participants were Milica Bajković, Forward, PR & Communications Agency, Danijela Popović Jurić, Red Communications, Sandra Radujko, New Media Team i Ivana Laković, Luxury Integrated. Milica Đokić from Journal.rs was the moderator.
As for the last panel, CEO Talks: Media & Culture, the discussion was moderated by Maja Rakovic, Naxi Radio, while her interlocutors were Manja Grčić, K1, Majo Public, Tijana Palkovljević, Matica Srpska Gallery, Jelena Medaković, Belgrade City Museum, Ivana Bašičević Antić, Museum of naive and marginal art, Lidija Ćulibrk, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Lepota i zdravlje” i Duška Jovanić, Diplomacy & Commerce magazine.
Why was it important to be present at this event?
Because women in the highest positions in the world of diplomacy, business, culture and media must network and create a support system for young ladies who are just following in their footsteps and need all the support to change this world even more and better and strengthen the position of women in all spheres. It is by building meaningful relationships and with a little luck that we can all create the professional, personal and humane lives we want.