Table

Representation of women in the Ministry of Defence and the Army of the Republic of Macedonia who participated in peace missions: (period 2002–till present)

Staff category	Women
Officers	22
NCOs	62
Professional soldiers	34
Civilians	26
Total	144

Education

64.In the school year 2017–2018, according to the data of the Ministry of Education and Science in public elementary schools, there are 188810 pupils, out of which 91146 are female, 121617 pupils attend lessons in Macedonian, 60258 in Albanian, 6505 in Turkish, 274 in Bosnian and 156 in Serbian language. In the school year 2016–2017 there were a total of 192715 pupils, 93384 of which are female. (The data are taken from SSO). Pupils in elementary education in the school year 2015–2016, divided by gender, ethnicity and language (Source: SSO).

	Total	Macedonians	Albanians	Turks	Roma	Vlach	Serbs	Bosnians	Other	Have not declared	Unknown
Female pupils	89 755	50 249	28 841	3 918	4 164	134	549	874	1 014	10	2
Macedonian l.
All	119 550	102 549	777	2 571	8 571	284	1 081	1 557	2 122	36	2
Female pupils	58 285	50 205	389	1 262	4 063	134	482	736	1 002	10	2
Albanian l.
All	59 437	–	59 199	1	205	–	–	10	22	–	–
Female pupils	28 491	–	28 380	–	98	–	–	1	12	–	–
Turkish l.
All	5 591	–	150	5 434	7	–	–	–	–	–	–
Female pupils	2 729	–	71	2 656	2	–	–	–	–	–	–
Serbian l.
All	258	94	1	–	2	–	161	–	–	–	–
Female pupils	113	44	1	–	1	–	67	–	–	–	–
Bosnian l.
All	283	1	–	–	–	–	–	282	–	–	–
Female pupils	137	–	–	–	–	–	–	137	–	–	–
Total	185 119	102 644	60 127	8 006	8 785	284	1 242	1 849	2 144	36	2

65.In terms of outflow of pupils in elementary schools, the situation is the following: In 2015-2016, a total of 2525 pupils dis-enrolled from school, of which 1206 were female, for reasons of moving to a different location 19771 pupils, 933 of which were female, 554 pupils discontinued their education, 273 of which were female. (Source: SSO) — realistically this data is required SECONDARY EDUCATION In the school year 2017–2018, according to the data of the Ministry of Education and Science in public elementary schools there are 70318 pupils, 33653 of which are female, 48555 attend classes in Macedonian language, 20418 attended classes in Albanian and 1345 pupils attended classes in Turkish language. In secondary education, in the school year 2016/2017 there is a total of 80295, 38330 of which are female. (Source: SSO) Secondary education pupils in the school year 2016–2016, grouped by gender and ethnicity (Source: SSO).

	Total	Macedonians	Albanians	Turks	Roma	Vlach	Serbs	Bosnians	Other	Have not declared	Unknown
Female pupils	37 267	23 448	10 601	1 299	613	116	399	409	380	2	–
Total	77 625	47 650	23 028	2 849	1 420	227	776	797	872	6	–

66.In terms of outflow of pupils in secondary schools in the school year 2015–2016, the situation is the following: 1328 pupils dis-enrolled from school, 462 of which were female, 1063 pupils in total, or 355 female, left for moving to a different location or country, while 265 pupils discontinued their education, 107 of which were female.

67.Secondary education is mandatory for all citizens, including Roma, in accordance with the Law on Secondary Education, and the education is free of charge. For regular pupils, pursuant to the Law on Secondary Education, free transportation to schools is provided. For pupils with special educational needs, apart from transportation for the pupils, free transportation is also provided for their companions.

68.Pursuant to the Law on Pupils’ Standard, for regular pupils there is an option for free housing in a dormitory.

69.In accordance with the Law on Textbooks for Elementary and Secondary Education, textbooks in public elementary and secondary schools are free of charge.

Enrolment of Roma Pupils in Secondary Education

70.Pupils from the Roma ethnic community can enrol in a public secondary school if they have up to 10 per cent less points than the number of points foreseen in accordance with the Competition for Adequate Curricula and if they meet the additional criteria for examination of the knowledge and skills in the respective school.

71.The project titled “Scholarship, Mentorship and Tutoring to Secondary School Roma Pupils” is implemented for the ninth year in a row. The project started its implementation in the school year 2009/2010 and continues this year as well. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science in cooperation with the Roma Education Fund from Budapest. Project’s general goal is through positive interventions to increase the mobility and success of the Roma pupils in first, second, third and fourth year from all state and private secondary schools in Republic of Macedonia. This project covers the scholarship pupils from approximately 84 schools and 28 municipalities throughout Republic of Macedonia.

72.New project’s goal is through positive interventions to increase the mobility and success of secondary school Roma pupils from the public and private secondary schools in Republic of Macedonia as well as to provide academic and financial support for the same.

73.The project is developing in three phases, i.e. providing scholarships, mentoring and tutoring.

Measures to support the Roma people’s secondary education

•In the school year of 2016/17, a total of 582 scholarships were awarded to secondary school Roma pupils, 244 of which were male and 338 female. Total number of outflow is 9 scholarship pupils, 4 of which were female;

•In the school year of 2017/18, a total of 736 scholarships were awarded to secondary school Roma pupils, 318 of which were male and 418 female.

Measures to support the Roma people’s secondary education

•In the school year of 2016/17, a total of 73 scholarships were awarded to Roma students, 37 of which were male and 36 female. Total number of outflow students from the programme is 18 students, 8 of which were female;

•In the school year of 2017/18, a total of 90 scholarships were awarded to Roma students, 37 of which were male and 36 female. Total number of outflow students from the programme is 18 students, 52 of which were male and 48 female.

Higher education

74.In the academic year of 2016–2017 a total of 51820 students were enrolled, 28811 of which were female (Source: SSO).

Table

Students enrolled in first year for the first time, according to belonging to the ethnic community, 2016/2017

	Total	Out of which females	Ethnic c ommunities	Unknown	From other states
Macedonians	Albanians	Turks	Roma	Vlach	Serbians	Bosnians	other
Total	15 955	8 242	10 401	3 701	432	93	147	235	137	65	1	743

75.Young people most often have negative attitude regarding the vocational education. Apart from the health care and economic and legal occupation, other occupations are less attractive for the young people. This is particularly important for vocational education and training programmes with shorter duration (2 or 3 years). Low valuation of these qualifications on the labour market contributes for the young people to enrol at technical programmes with the intention to continue the education. Strong economy can make the low qualifications attractive, but weak economy negatively affects their attractiveness among the young people, regardless of their gender.

76.There is one more phenomenon that contributes to getting the wrong picture of the young people’s interest about the vocational education, regardless of their gender. For example, young people from both genders in smaller settlements do not have the opportunity to choose between gymnasium and vocational education or to choose vocational school according to their interest since in that settlement there is one type of vocational education only. These pupils can choose to travel or to stay in another place where there is a secondary school responding to their interests. In conditions of reduced financial power of the families, largest number of these young people decides to use the services of the school in their surrounding regardless of the fact that it is not their real interest. Such phenomenon adversely effects the transition of pupils to the higher education.

77.Most often these pupils perform selection of study programmes that do not correspond to the character of the secondary education they completed, but reflect their real interest to study. In the research conducted, part of the students and unemployed pupils confirmed the stated conclusion by their statements. Besides the positive measures undertaken to overcome this phenomenon (free transport, free text books, accommodation in dormitories, scholarships etc.) it is still present in the country. This actualizes the issue of the character in the secondary schools in the smaller towns in the country and the programmes accumulating low number of pupils.

78.In the direction of enrolment higher number of pupils in the vocational schools, the vocational schools themselves promote the offered vocations and profiles to the pupils in the last years of study in elementary schools and promote the future benefits of the selected vocation. With the purpose of enrolling male/female pupils in all vocations, the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) does not allow reduction of the pupils’ quota for enrolment in gymnasium education, health care and economic and legal and commercial vocation in which female pupils are enrolled the most. In this manner, MES encourages the female pupils to enrol in technical schools.

79.Good example is the enrolment of female pupils at SSCS Mihajlo Pupin Skopje at the electro-technical vocation which is known as typically “male occupation”.

Employment

80.According to the data obtained from the research titled “Women on the Labour Market: Stereotypes and Challenges”, in organization of FINANCE THINK, the Economic Research and Policy Institute Skopje, the main reasons of inactivity are the following: 34.5 per cent of women declared that the main reason of their inactivity is the household obligations and the care of children and elderly people. 17.4 per cent declared that they have health issues that prevent them to work or to seek for a job. Other two large categories are those who have lost their hope to find a job (declared by 16.3 per cent) and those who responded that they have never worked and believe that insufficiently qualified. However, these categories of inactive women who declare discouragement of job seeking should be a target of the public policies aiming at increasing the participation of women on the labour market. Undeveloped flexible forms of work and the distance of the workplace from home have very low significance. Contrary to the widespread beliefs, money that women receive from abroad is identified by only 3.3 per cent as a reason for inactivity.

Relative importance for any potential obstacle for activity

81.The most of the interviewed (60.3 per cent) agreed that the household obligations (including the care for children) are main obstacle of their activity. However, many women (55 per cent) say they believe they do not have the appropriate skills to qualify. Half of the inactive women agree that the lack of flexible work opportunities is moving them away from the labour market, while 45 per cent complained about the lack of facilities that provide care for children.

Conservative views of the inactive women

82.The study shows that inactive women have traditional views of gender roles that act as an important barrier to their labour market activity.

83.The 2012 Law on Minimum Monthly Wages determined the amount of the minimum monthly wage as well as the other issues related to the minimum monthly wage. The minimum monthly wage is the lowest monthly amount of the basic monthly wage that the employer is obliged to pay to the employee for work performed for full time and fulfilled normalized performance. The normalized performance is determined by the employer, each year in February, based on the criteria and efficiency of the production process. The normalized performance is determined by the employer in cooperation with the employees, on the basis of criteria that must be the same for each technical and technological whole at the employer. The normalized performance as a condition for payment of the minimum monthly wage should be achievable by at least 80 per cent of the number of employees for each technical-technological unit, separately. Right to minimum monthly wage have all workers at the amount determined by law. The amount of the minimum wage for a part-time worker or worker working less than full-time working hours, is calculated and paid in proportion to the number of hours worked. Minimum monthly wage does not apply to the employed persons solely. Pursuant to the 2012 Law on Minimum Monthly Wage, the minimum monthly wage amounted 8,050 in net amount for all employees except for the employees at departments in which in July 2011 there was an average monthly wage paid under 15,600 denars in gross amount. Pursuant to this law, the minimum monthly wage in the sectors of shoe, leather and textile industry was paid below the level of the minimum monthly wage.

84.The amendments to the 2017 Law on Minimum Monthly Wage contributed to increase in the minimum monthly wage to 17,130 in gross amount and is paid with no exception in all sectors, including the sectors of shoe, leather and textile industry. Pursuant to the amendments to the 2017 Law on Minimum Monthly Wage, a financial assistance from the budget of Republic of Macedonia is being foreseen for payment of minimum monthly wage to employers that fulfil the requirements determined by the Law. Financial assistance’s amount for payment of minimum monthly wage amounts 500–2000 denars. Pursuant to this law, the financial assistance of 500–2000 denars shall be paid from September 2017 to March 2018, while from March 2018 to August 2018, it will be paid in the amount of 50 per cent from the previously determined amount.

85.Article 108 of the Law on Labour Relations (Official Gazette 74/2015) stipulates the equal pay for women and men.

Health care

86.The working group established within the Ministry of Health has prepared a number of guidelines related to prenatal health care, including Guidelines for management of postpartum haemorrhage, detection of risky conditions in pregnancy, etc. The guideline is presented to the association of gynaecologists, it was approved and it is planned its implementation to start soon.

87.The health care of women in the reproductive period is provided through a network of health facilities at all three levels of health care. On primary level, prenatal health care in Republic of Macedonia is provided by gynaecologists, as well as by patronage nurses. Primary health care for pregnant women is carried out by gynaecologists and in 2016 a total of 141 doctors, or 1 doctor for about 3600 women, in the reproductive period worked in the public sector. The percentage of pregnant women who have access and use prenatal and postnatal care is relatively high and ranges around 90 per cent.

88.The deliveries with professional help are maintained at a high level (99.9 per cent).

89.The patronage service conducts patronage visits to the maternity home after leaving the maternity hospital. The number of pregnant women who have access and use postnatal health protection (visits from patronage nurses) amounts 83 per cent.

90.The Ministry of Health has introduced several measures to increase access to health care for pregnant women, especially to vulnerable groups of women experiencing financial barriers, that is, free examinations are provided during laboratory examinations during pregnancy, related to pregnancy, free childbirth for pregnant uninsured women, Roma women, women from socially vulnerable categories and persons without identification and free hospital treatment of infants from uninsured mothers, Roma women, women from socially vulnerable categories and persons without identification, while the pregnant women who have health insurance are exempt from paying for health services related to pregnancy, at all levels of health care. In 2015, the co-payment for health-care services during pregnancy was abolished (microbiological smears, laboratory blood and urine examinations, urine culture, PRISCA test for the detection of genetic anomalies), while the costs are covered by the annual programmes conducted by the Ministry of Health: the Co‑Payment Programme of the MH (for insured women) and Mother and Child Programme (for uninsured women). This measure facilitates the access to these services of the vulnerable groups of women.

91.Health care for children aged 0–6 is provided by the preventive teams (monitoring of growth and development and protection against communicable diseases) and patronage services (support to families with young children for health promotion). The health care and treatment of sick children is carried out through the work of the general practitioners/paediatricians as well as the paediatric departments within the hospital treatment. In 2016, the prevention teams conducted an average number of 2.8 examinations per infant.

92.The patronage service with patronage visits covered 80 per cent of the new-borns with an average of 2.2 visits per new-born and 4.5 visits per infant.

93.For the purpose of protection against infectious diseases in Republic of Macedonia, compulsory immunoprophylaxis and chemoprophylaxis is carried out in accordance with the Law on Protection of the Population against Infectious Diseases and the Rulebook for Immunological Prophylaxis, Chemoprophylaxis, Persons Subject to These Measures, the Manner of Performing and Keeping Records and Documentation).

Table

Percentage of children 1 year of age who received full immunization for tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio and measles

Vaccine/year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Diphtheria	95.9	94.7	98.2	95.4	91.3	95.3
Tetanus	95.9	94.7	98.2	95.4	91.3	95.3
Pertussis	95.9	94.7	98.2	95.4	97.3	95.3
Polio	97.0	96.9	97.9	95.6	92.1	95.3
Smallpox	96.8	96.1	96.1	93.3	88.8	82.1

Source : Institute for Public Health of Republic of Macedonia .

94.Within the Early Cancer Detection Programme, screening of women at the age between 24 and 60 is organized.

95.All gynaecologists (who have contracts with the Health Insurance Fund) are engaged in screening for early detection of cervical cancer. They are obliged to send invitations to women to be screened. Functioning of the mobile gynaecological unit is foreseen, especially for the rural areas where the most vulnerable population (unemployed, low educated, without health insurance, Roma, etc.) live. The activity is carried out by health institutions in cooperation with NGOs. The Institute for Public Health has produced educational material for motivating women to be involved in screening. IPH regularly prepares quarterly and annual reports and submits them to the Ministry of Health.

96.A working works on preparation of Clinical Guidelines for Screening Prevention of Cervical Cancer.

97.A special electronic registration form for the PAP smear has been prepared. The same will be operational after the protocol is finalized.

98.There are no gender-specific drug addiction treatment programmes in the country, women are treated in gender mixed programs that do not meet their needs. The number of female patients in the programmes is very low, up to 15 per cent of the total number of patients in the capital Skopje, while in some other cities this percentage is lower.

99.Pregnant women have always had treatment priority and there have never existed waiting lists for them.

100.In the manual with the protocol for use of methadone in the treatment of opioid addiction, women are recognized as a separate vulnerable category and it contains the chapters:

Use of methadone during pregnancy, where it is stated

101.Substitution maintenance therapies are well established for use in pregnancy and result in a general improvement in the physical and psychosocial well-being of mothers and a better outcome for their babies. Buprenorphine is associated with a lower incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome compared to methadone. Therefore, opioid addicted pregnant women can be treated with methadone during the first three months of pregnancy. If a decision is made to initiate methadone therapy during pregnancy, detoxification programmes and discontinuation of methadone therapy are not recommended due to the risk of adverse effects of abstinence syndrome on the foetus and on the course of pregnancy, but a stable maintenance of the daily methadone dose in the course of the entire pregnancy.

New-borns of opioid addicted mothers, where it is stated

102.“For more information, see a new-born infant’s guide to opioid addicted mothers”. In 2011, a Clinical Guideline for the Management of Children with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome was developed by a psychiatrist and paediatrician-neonatologist.

103.In most NGOs in several cities in the country there are specific programmes to reduce damage to sex workers who inject drugs. Most of these programmes offer medical and social services, legal assistance, and representation of a court in cases of violation of human rights.

104.In 2017 an assessment was made of treatment and care programs for drug users in which there are addressed, among others, all the challenges and recommendations related to gender issues in the drug-using population, and the evaluation report is available on the MH’s website.

105.It is planned this year to draft a new law on termination of pregnancy taking into account the opinions and conclusions of the Human Rights Committee. The process is conducted transparently in coordination and communication with the non-governmental sector in order to provide appropriate solutions.

106.According to the programme of the Government of Republic of Macedonia, it is planned that at least one type of oral contraception should be placed on the positive list in the period of this Government’s mandate.

107.According to the National Action Plan for Gender Equality 2018–2020, the introduction of comprehensive sexuality education is envisaged.

Rural women

108.The formal employment of women in agriculture, forestry and water economy is 20.3 per cent of the total number of employed women in Republic of Macedonia, and according to the data for unpaid family workers — 64 per cent are women. Inequality in employment is most often the result of informal workforce, lack of land and/or ownership, traditional norms in rural areas and limited support for rural women in accessing resources (information, advisory services, subsidies, finance and skill development).

109.Reforms in education, legal regulation reforms and raising public awareness among women, starting with the education of young people from the youngest age, the role of notaries in realizing the transfer of real estate rights and increasing the information of the contracting parties, by gradually overcoming the tradition/customs with the legal norms, result in an increase in the percentage of women enrolled as owners of real estate in Republic of Macedonia. For comparison, in Republic of Macedonia, the percentage of women enrolled as real estate owners from 16.63 per cent in 2015 has increased, and now it amounts 28.33 per cent.

Refugee women

110.The Law on International and Temporary Protection (Official Gazette of Republic of Macedonia No. 61 dated 11.04.2018) in its provisions regulates the gender-sensitive procedures in determining the status of refugee or of person with status of subsidiary protection.

111.Namely, Article 6 line 1 of this Law, in acts of persecution according to Art. 1 A of the Geneva Convention regulates these issues by defining:

•Acts of physical or mental violence, including acts of sexual violence;

•Acts that by their nature are tied to gender or children.

112.At the same time in Article 7, in the section on reasons for persecution, the term “group” is defined, as well as the term “social group”. Depending on the circumstances of the country of origin, a social group may also mean a group that is based on sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is not considered a crime punishable under the national law. Gender-related elements that include gender identity should be considered when determining a membership or characteristic of a particular social group.

113.The article on vulnerable persons as a category of persons provided for in this Law regulates gender violence and it reads as follows: “It is necessary to take into account the forms of gender-specific persecution in evaluating the application for recognition of the right to asylum.”

114.The Asylum Sector has two women counsellors who are responsible for dealing with a vulnerable category of persons, since the gender-based violence as a harmful act against the will of a person based on socially prescribed differences between men and women includes physical, sexual or mental injury or suffering, threats of that kind, coercion and deprivation of liberty.

115.Regarding the reception of women refugees and asylum seekers, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy manages the only acceptance Centre in the country, the Public Institution for Admission of Asylum Seekers, located in Vizbegovo. In June 2016, the Ministry developed standard operational procedures for prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV) for the receiving facility, while in May 2017 SOP for the Reception Centre was integrated besides GBV, the entire mechanism for referral of vulnerable asylum seekers. Social workers are available 24/7 and have attended various trainings to provide protection and case management in relation to vulnerable individuals or to assess and profile the potential victims of violence. In collaboration with the UN agencies and partner NGOs, there are specific psycho-social programmes and assistance provided through various activities and group sessions.

116.In terms of transit Centres, through its social security workers, the ministry provides assistance and support to all migrants registered there by the police. Regarding women and girls, for the needs of transit Centres, the Ministry developed internal guidelines and a referral protocol for all vulnerable migrants and the identification of a victim of violence or human trafficking. In partnership with the UN agencies and the NGOs, transit Centres are used to offer specific psychosocial programmes and group support, but with the reduction in the number of users, activities are also taking place with lower dynamics.

Disadvantaged groups of women

117.According to the 2014–2020 Strategy for Roma in Republic of Macedonia and the 2016–2020 National Action Plan for Strengthening the Position of the Roma Women in the Society, the following projects are implemented.

Project Inclusion of Children in Preschool Education

118.The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in cooperation with the Roma Education Fund (REF) for eleven years implements the project Inclusion of Roma Children in the Public Municipal Institutions — Kindergartens.

119.The total number of children enrolled at all kindergartens in Republic of Macedonia amounts 34,521, 718 or 2.07 per cent of who are Roma. Outside the project (parents who cover the stay of children in kindergarten at the level of Republic of Macedonia), there are 204 children registered in total.

120.During the school year 2017–2018, a total of 510 children in the 19 kindergartens/municipalities were enrolled from the 628 planned for that period. In total 19 municipalities, 260 of them are girls. On average, the regular attendance of children in the kindergarten is about 65 per cent. According to the project statistics, the drop of children in kindergartens is on average 3.45 per cent, with higher outflows in male children of 3.32 per cent, while the outflow among the girls is 2.69 per cent. All children attending kindergarten have been regularly vaccinated.

121.Within this project, besides the obligations undertaken by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, administratively and financially, the kindergartens and 19 municipalities also support stay for a number of Roma children in kindergartens, for which they sign an agreement with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

Project Roma Information Centres

122.Currently, 12 Roma Information Centres are operating in 12 municipalities and 16 persons are engaged in the same, 5 of who are female. Roma Information Centres work on field, for timely information, counselling, referral and providing logistical support to the citizens in order to achieve their rights and obligations (in the areas of social protection, employment, health care, housing and education, obtaining personal documents, etc.), in a timely manner without particular problems and consequences. In the period from January to March 2018, 2354 services were provided, 46.5 per cent or 1095 services were targeted at women who addressed the RIC (in the areas of employment 92 services, social protection 626, 53 in the field of health care, in the area of education 67, housing 85, anti-discrimination 2, personal documentation 108, other 62).

Action for Registration of People in the Register of Births

123.According to the latest data, about 600 Roma face the problem of non‑registration in the register of births and cannot exercise any of the rights provided by the laws in Republic of Macedonia. Within this activity, the main target is the Roma women and mothers whose children are not registered in the register of births.

124.From April 1st, the Office for Management of Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths published an Announcement inviting all persons who are not registered in the register of births to submit requests to the Officer for additional registration, thus Macedonia will have official figures for these persons recorded in a separate Register and at the same time will have an insight on what kind of cases it is about.

ROMAACTED

125.The new project ROMAACTED implemented in Republic of Macedonia will be founded by the Council of Europe and the European Commission. The Council of Europe in cooperation with the European Commission has selected the coaches from this programme and an NGO that will coordinate the activities. In the formation of local structures, Roma women and their inclusion is of particular importance.

Measures for Temporarily Taking Care of the Persons Caught under Kale

126.The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, acting on the conclusion of the Draft Minutes of the Twenty-Sixth Session of the Government of Republic of Macedonia held on 5.10.2017, in relation to the obligation to accommodate the persons found under Kale in a social protection institution, undertakes measures through the PI Inter-Municipal Centre for Social Work of the City of Skopje for urgent and temporary accommodation in a facility in Skopje, which is under the authority of the Ministry. By the end of November 2017, 112 people were relocated from the place called POD KALE and placed in institutions that are under the authority of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Workshops are organized with the Roma women in the families and it is worked on raising their awareness. Of the 94 persons who are temporarily taken care of at the facility in Ranka Milanovikj, 53 are children (male 31, female 22), while 41 adults (21 male, 20 female).

Social Mapping

127.From April 2018, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy started with the implementation of a new Social Mapping Project funded by the European Commission. This project will map the Roma settlements and provide qualitative and quantitative data to Roma people in the areas of education, employment, housing, health care, social inclusion, possession of documents and the like.

128.The Employment Service Agency of Republic of Macedonia have registered 6202 unemployed Roma who are active job-seekers, out of which 2324 women. The qualification structure of a large proportion of these persons is disadvantageous in relation to the needs and demands of employers, which actually reduces their employment opportunities, while the low level of education makes it difficult for many people to include them in some of the programmes and active measures for employment and successful management of the labour market.

129.Within the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Cabinet of the Minister without Portfolio, Mr. Aksel Ahmedovski, a Rulebook and criteria for allocation of projects for the municipalities were prepared, which would be financed from the national budget in the field of infrastructure. From this year, the budget of funds planned for this purpose has been increased.

130.Regarding the issue of housing locations, i.e. construction of housing facilities for socially vulnerable groups in the municipality of Shuto Orizari-Skopje, according to the F/P 1674 (2009) Project for Housing of Socially Vulnerable Groups, it is planned to build 51 apartments in two facilities, it is expected that the Municipality of Shuto Orizari will adopt the Detailed Urban Plan, which should be prepared as soon as possible by the Spatial Planning Agency of Republic of Macedonia.

131.The Ministry of Health continued with the implementation of the Roma Health Mediators Project (RHM).

132.The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, within the framework of the information for overcoming the problem of non-registration in register of births, proposed the preparation of a Health Care Program for these people with a special focus on Roma woman.

Marriage and family relations

133.Article 16 of the Family Law (Official Gazette of Republic of Macedonia No. 80/92, 9/96, 38/04, 33/06, 84/08, 67/10, 156/10, 39/12, 44/12, 8/14, 115/14, 104/15 and 150/15) determines the age of entering into matrimony as marital obstacle where it does not allow for person under the age of 18 to enter into marriage. The same provision provides for an exemption so that the competent court can, in an out-of-court procedure, allow the marriage of a person who has reached the age of 16 if it determines that it has reached the physical and mental maturity required to perform the rights and obligations arising in marriage, after obtaining an opinion from a health institution and providing expert assistance in the Centre for social work. In the procedure for issuing a decision for granting permission for marriage, the court will hear the minor submitter of the motion, their parents, the guardian and the person to whom the minor person wants to marry.

134.The Centres for Social Work, when performing the activities within their scope, monitor the situation in the vulnerable families and undertake measures for preventing juvenile marriages through professional-methodological work with the parents and minors, as well as by indicating the consequences in the case of juvenile marriages, in order to prevent certain negative phenomena, to strengthen parental competencies and provide expert assistance to overcome broken partnerships and parental relationships in the family.

135.The SWC, as an exclusively competent body for guardianship, supervises the exercise of the parental right, and in case the parent abuses or neglects the parental right, it undertakes appropriate measures for protection of the person, the rights and the interests of the child (it may take the child away, place it in another family, institution or procedure for deprivation of parental right) their education, employment and health.