GENDER SENSITIVE POLICIES: ARE THERE ANY CHANGES IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA FROM 1990 TO 2011?

Abstract

One of the fundamental values of the constitutional order in the Republic of Macedonia is the principle of equality which guarantees equal rights regardless of gender. The recognition and the promotion of the gender-equal opportunities are a necessary precondition for democratic development. In the past 24 years of independence, the political parties in the Republic of Macedonia passed through various stages and changes, which include the attitudes of the parties towards women's issues. This paper will research the capacity of the main political parties in the Macedonian bloc, SDSM, and VMRO-DPMNE, to develop, adopt, and implement gender-sensitive policies. The research will be based on the analysis of the election programs regarding the Parliamentary elections in 1990, 2002 and2011. The analysis will cover the development of gender sensitivity in the election programs of SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE for the period of two decades.

Keywords

• political party
• SDSM
• VMRO-DPMNE
• election program
• equal opportunities
• gender sensitive policies