RISE 2025: How digitalization and innovation can empower women

At the Belgrade Women's Conference - RISE 2025, dedicated to the rights, inclusion, sustainability and empowerment of women, the panel "Steps of Representation: Political Empowerment of Women" was held, which was moderated by Violeta Jovanović, executive director of NALED and president of the Ethno network.

At the Belgrade Women's Conference - RISE 2025, dedicated to the rights, inclusion, sustainability and empowerment of women, the panel "Steps of Representation: Political Empowerment of Women" was held, which was moderated by Violeta Jovanović, executive director of NALED and president of the Ethno network (Etno mreža).

At the opening of the panel, she pointed out that empowering women is not about giving them power - because they already have it - but about removing obstacles that prevent them from realizing their full potential. - Gender equality is not only a development goal, but also a matter of social justice - said Jovanović.

During the discussion, panelists from Turkey, Malta, Montenegro and Serbia shared experiences and examples of good practice that show how digitization, innovation, legal reforms and local initiatives can contribute to greater inclusion of women in politics, business and economy.

- Women are the foundation of every society and that is why our goal is to make their everyday life easier with digitization and provide easy access to information and services - said the director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Dr. Mihialo Jovanović and reminded of the electronic service "Baby, welcome to the world", which since April 2016 has made it easier for parents to register their newborn and saved mothers more than 3.5 million trips to the counters. He also presented the "Cuvam te" platform, the first national platform for the prevention and protection of peer violence, which enables the reporting of violence in real time, the monitoring of procedures and the provision of effective support. Jovanović also announced plans to launch the eZena platform, which will additionally support women in all areas of life.

Turkey's Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Ozdemir Goktaş, said that the country has introduced additional measures related to female entrepreneurship and greater participation of women in the labor market. She stated that in Turkey it is allowed that both parents can work part-time until the child starts elementary school, that among the measures is the introduction of childcare services at work, that initiatives are implemented that encourage female entrepreneurship. – We have created more than a thousand women's cooperatives. We are also working on the financial literacy of women – the Turkish minister stated.

Julia Farrugia Portelli, Minister of Inclusion and Social Affairs of Malta, pointed out the importance of greater representation of women in parliament, stressing that it contributes to empathy and better understanding in society. – When you introduce good changes in society it affects everyone. My point is - never be afraid to speak up for yourself because when you say something, it will pave the way for others to have a better life – she concluded.

Similar messages also came from Montenegro, where Sabina Muratović, director of the Directorate for Social Welfare in the Ministry of Social Welfare, pointed out that women still have to prove their abilities, but also that through the cooperation of different political parties, significant legal developments are being achieved, such as the reform of the Alimony Fund. She called for the strengthening of women's solidarity in order to achieve further progress in gender equality.

As a reminder, RISE 2025 represents a new international platform that places women at the center of the political and economic dialogue on a sustainable future. The conference brings together ministers, political leaders, representatives of international organizations, business communities and experts from various sectors and countries who recognize the empowerment of women as a prerequisite for the progress of society as a whole.