NALED and Minister Macura Discuss the Rights of Entrepreneurial Mothers
Representatives of NALED, led by Executive Director Violeta Jovanović, met with Tatjana Macura, Minister without Portfolio responsible for coordinating activities in the areas of gender equality, prevention of violence against women, and the political and economic empowerment of women in a caretaker capacity, to discuss the financial implications of equalizing the status of entrepreneurial mothers with that of employed mothers during pregnancy and leave following the birth of a child, an issue advocated by NALED.
They also reflected on regulatory changes introduced to date, including the right to two years of paid benefits following the birth of a third child and the possibility for partners to take over parental leave, while noting that there is still room for further improvement in the position of women entrepreneurs.
They also discussed how these measures are not only a social issue but also have an impact on the economy, as well as the need to assess their financial effects on the state budget and GDP in order to identify a sustainable long-term model.
Macura stated that motherhood must not become an economic penalty. She noted that women account for more than 30 percent of entrepreneurs in Serbia and that improving their position is therefore an important part of the broader policy of women’s economic empowerment.
