[InStore] Women make a difference
When the conversation about gender equality in Serbia is brought up, I often hear the same sentences: "Well, women are in leadership positions today, what else do you lack?", "What rights do you not have?", "Who is preventing you from doing anything?". I smile because if the presence of several women in high positions means that we have solved equality, then the fact that I have prepared lunch several times means that I am a professional cook.
A woman must not be just a quota. It must not be a decoration on a photo of collective success, nor a silent companion in the background of someone else's career. We are not there to fill an empty spot in the table, although we are often reduced to that. Women are here to contribute equally, to have equal opportunities and chances to create new, improve the old or simply work like everyone else.
Throughout my life I have had the privilege of seeing women who have proven it. Entrepreneurs who knocked on banks' doors with a business plan, even though half the neighborhood told them they were dreaming of the impossible. Mothers who arrived at meetings with dark circles under their eyes and a cup of cold coffee in hand, but also with ideas from which companies grew. Journalists who knew that their word could be the only voice of those who don't have one. Female leaders who did not command from the armchair, but listened to even the quietest member of the team.
The numbers ground us. Although they make up half of the workforce, women own less than a third of businesses in the country. In order to further invest or start a business, they often need loans. But three-quarters of women are mostly invisible to banks because they own only 24% of real estate. And then someone dares to ask what we are missing, we are missing a lot.
Despite everything, women are constantly fighting. Two thirds of graduates are women. So - we are capable, we are educated, but it seems that we are running a race with infinite kilometers and obstacles. Although we train regularly and are in good shape, we lack support from the stands and fair judging. However, this does not stop us from fighting because we owe it to all the women who came before us. We overcome bureaucracy, unfair market conditions and a suspicious environment every day. There are solutions: favorable credit lines and guarantee funds. Flexible forms of work, which proved to be perfectly functional during the pandemic.
That's why I like the Strong and Important project, which NALED is implementing with the support of the British Embassy. We bring together women who are not waiting for permission to occupy space. We offer them grants, workshops, mentoring support.
Gender equality is not a struggle for privileges. It is a fight for space - the right to speak, decide, make mistakes and grow, without justification. It must be won - with every sentence we don't keep silent, every seat at the table we don't give up without reason. Since we started with the kitchen, let's finish it in that spirit. The presence of a woman in business and society is like a spice in a dish: you may not immediately see how important it is, but as soon as it's gone, everything seems tasteless. And everyone feels the difference.
Written by: Sanja Šojić, Public Relations Manager, NALED
Source: InStore
