‘Are we there yet?’ Citizens of Serbia and public policy on gender equality within the EU accession context

Abstract

This article explores three dimensions of the current state of gender equality in Serbia: public policy on gender equality, public opinion on gender equality and the context of Serbia’s accession to the EU. Using data from the recent (2010) public opinion survey of citizens’ attitudes towards gender equality, the authors address the following issues: (1) harmonization of public policy on gender equality in Serbia with EU policies; (2) differences between public policy on gender equality in Serbia and citizens’ preferences; (3) convergences/divergences between citizens of Serbia and EU citizens regarding gender equality. As Serbia’s policy of promoting gender equality in the last decade has been dominated by the political goal of accession to the EU, it shows where the opinions converge (violence against women is seen as a priority), and where there are certain differences (intervention in gender equality issues). The authors show the complexity of ideological positions among average Serbian citizens, while highlighting different (and sometimes contradictory) paradigms in the official public policy on gender equality. While Serbian citizens still do not place gender equality high on their political agenda, they are convinced that it has a certain value, which does provide some important pointers for the future.