21.Additional support for integration or reintegration into the labour market, i.e. improving employability (through the acquisition of additional knowledge, skills and competencies) is provided through the IPA 2013 program cycle, as well as through cooperation between the NES and local governments on the implementation of local employment action plans.

Table 2

Women by belonging to the categories of difficult employability, included in the measures of active employment policy during 2019 and 2020
	No of women
Category	2019		2020
Up to 30 years of age	24.223	14.763
Category – employee redundancy	7.176	2.898
Over 50 years of age	15.772	6.537
Unemployed without qualifications or with a low level of qualifications	19.651	7.392
Women with disabilities	4.121	1.779
Roma women	3.053	1.534
Victims of domestic violence	74	41
Refugees	47	14
Internally displaced persons	628	209

22.Women’s entrepreneurship is recognized as a significant segment in the structure of the economy of the Republic of Serbia, and statistical indicators at the state level show that the percentage of women in business is around 31 per cent, which is similar to the data in the EU (30 per cent). According to the data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (Labour Force Survey, 3rd quarter of 2020), the employment rate is 49.9 per cent. Although statistics show that in recent years we have a slight increase in the establishment of companies and entrepreneurial activities by women (the latest data from the Business Registers Agency show that in the first 10 months of 2020, 6,905 companies were founded, of which 1,611 were founded by women), at the local level there are still problems in establishing new ones, but also in the high rate of closing down companies. Women usually start a business by opening an entrepreneurial shop and are mainly engaged in service activities, which are less profitable, innovatively weaker, exposed to greater competition and the grey economy, and employ fewer workers. In local markets and in smaller communities, women’s business is more exposed to the public, failure is experienced personally and is not encouraged either to restart or to initially realize the idea of one’s own business. However, women have become more self-aware and courageous, partly because of the financial and non-financial support programs offered by state institutions, as well as because of special credit lines for women.

23.Within the project “Key Steps towards Gender Equality”, implemented by CBGE, MEI and UN-Women, in the past three years, 16 civil society organizations have been supported in the field of economic empowerment of women and improving the position of women in the labour market, in the total amount of 57 million dinars, and over 1,600 women were empowered.

Women with disabilities

24.The Strategy for Improving the Position of Persons with Disabilities in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2020–2024, which was adopted on March 5, 2020, stated that women with disabilities are at risk of multiple discrimination; invisible in the public sphere; do not participate sufficiently in public and political life; they face difficulties in exercising their rights, as well as being exposed to gender-based violence. By including the perspective of women and girls with disabilities in policies, programs and strategies on disability, gender equality and gender perspective, the aim is to overcome multiple and cross-discrimination in all spheres of their lives.

Table 3

Professional rehabilitation and employment incitement for women with disabilities	2019 PWD/women	2020 PWD/women
Active employment policy measures	4.121	1.779
Active job seeking measures	2.781	775
Additional education and training programs	277	52
Employment subsidy programs	511	443
Public work programs	552	509
Allocated funds/RSD	550 millions	550 millions
Note: The reduced coverage of unemployed persons with active employment policy measures (including PWD) in 2020 is a consequence of the limited possibilities for the undisturbed implementation of active employment policy measures, due to the epidemiological situation.

Roma women

25.National Coalition for Ending Child Marriages, established in 2019, supports all interested parties to respond to the problem of child marriages in Serbia, with a coordinated action, and to provide that persons belonging to Roma community, women and men, girls and boys, start to change their practices concerning this problem. Members of the Coalition are representatives of relevant ministries/institutions, SIPRU, as well as of civil society organizations. Coalition has managed that, in the pandemic conditions, regularly holds meetings, and with the cooperation of civil sector, continually implements the campaign on harmfulness of child marriages, through printed and electronic media.

Rural women

26.The goals of the Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development until 2024 can be viewed through the prism of gender equality because they are aimed not only at improving the quality of life and reducing poverty, but also at a more equal share in income distribution and economic opportunities, as well as a fairer social position of everyone. Operational goals, which relate to the protection and affirmation of women and youth, include achieving greater social cohesion and a more advanced, innovative social network in rural areas.

27.Rural development measures should lead to an increase in women’s employment, the vitality of the rural population, an improvement in the economic situation and the status of small agricultural households. Indicators show that women’s participation in agricultural and rural development tends to increase compared to previous years.

28.Also, in 2020, a Platform for reporting on the implemented support to agriculture and rural development at the provincial and local level was established, which will enable monitoring of women’s participation in the implemented program support to agriculture and rural development.

29.The Coordination Body for Gender Equality, in cooperation with NALED and the Ethno Network, is implementing the project “Employment for 1000 women in rural areas”, through support for the purchase of traditional handicrafts by socially responsible private companies, public companies, institutions and international organizations. Since the launch of the initiative, 766 women have been employed. Every year, KTRR, in cooperation with partners, celebrates October 15 – International Day of Rural Women.

Migrants, refugees and internally displaced women

30.The Commissariat for Refugees and Migration in all asylum and reception centres accommodates migrants and asylum seekers in compliance with the principles of non-discrimination, gender equality and family unity. In addition to respecting all standards regarding accommodation, health care and medical services, including sexual and reproductive health counselling and access to a gynaecologist, special procedures have been developed to deal with cases of gender-based violence. The Guide to Identifying Unaccompanied Girls as well as training for early detection of potential victims of trafficking is applied. Particular attention is paid to the inclusion of girls in the education system (school year 2020/21, a total of 66 girls or 80 per cent).

31.When the Commissariat in the process of integration solves the housing needs of refugees and internally displaced persons, spouses, in the contracts under which property is acquired on real estate, it is envisaged that the right of ownership is registered in the cadastre as joint property of spouses. In addition, as one of the criteria for determining the order of priority, an advantage is envisaged for single-parent families, in which that parent is in most cases a woman.

Collection of statistical data

32.In 2019, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, as part of the global MICS program, conducted the Survey of Multiple Indicators of the Position of Women and Children in Serbia 2019 and the Survey of Multiple Indicators of the Position of Women and Children in Roma Settlements in Serbia 2019.

33.Four questionnaires were used during the research, and a special Individual questionnaire for women aged 15 – 49 contained the following areas: Data on women, Fertility, Was the last birth desired, Maternal and newborn health, Contraception, Unmet needs, Attitudes towards violence in the family, Victimization, Marriage/union, Reproductive health decisions, Sexual behaviour, Life satisfaction.

34.The individual questionnaire for women also included questions regarding the woman’s current employment status; termination of pregnancy; home visits of patronage nurses; attending childbirth preparation programs, knowledge of contraceptive methods and their use or non-use; a set of questions on deciding on reproductive health, and a novelty are questions on knowing where they can report cases of domestic violence.

35.The results of the MICS survey are available at https://www.stat.gov.rs/ istrazivanja/mics/.

36.The process of preparations of the third Index of gender equality in Serbia began in the second half of the 2020. We emphasize that Serbia does not record any negative changes in any of the areas.

37.The CBGE, in cooperation with UN-Women, prepared the first economic analysis of unpaid jobs in the care field, which was conducted within the project “Gender responsible management – redistribution of unpaid work”. Gender analysis “The economic value of the unpaid care work in the Republic of Serbia” should contribute to change of the existing behavioural models in the field of care economy, obligations of women and unpaid domestic work, combining different economic and social measures, as well as employment policies. The main goal of the analysis was to calculate the value of unpaid work as well as the share in GDP, which is the first step on the way to social and economic recognition of that value and the creation of policies and systems of support and services in the community.

Reply to recommendation 48 (d) of the concluding observations

38.The new Law on the Registration Procedure with the Cadastre of Real Estate and Utilities enables spouses who acquire real estate in marriage to be automatically registered as co-owners. If it is a special| property that was acquired in marriage, the possibility is left for the spouses to voluntarily agree that only one partner will be registered in the cadastre as the owner, and the notary public will inform the Republic Geodetic Authority about that.

39.According to data of the Republic Geodetic Authority, every fourth real estate in Serbia is fully owned by women, and 11 per cent is in mixed ownership.