On 6.10.2016 in Skopje, conference took place with the topic "Protection and support to women victims of gender-based violence".

The conference was an opportunity for representatives from different spheres concerned with the problem of gender-based and domestic violence to gather and have a discussion aimed at:

- exchange of experiences and examples of good practice by representatives from institutions and women's non-governmental organizations working with women victims of violence;

- presentation of examples of good practices in implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence;

- defining the priorities and level of joint actions of governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations aimed at improvement of the conditions related to the protection and support to women victims of gender-based violence;

- developing conclusions and recommendations for more effective protection of women victims of gender-based and domestic violence.

Speakers at the conference were: Ms. Frosina Remenski, Minister for Labor and Social Policy, Mr. Mauro Di Veroli, Head of Operations, EU delegation in the Republic of Macedonia, Ms. Louisa Vinton, UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Marija Angelova, Parliamentary Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, Ms. Lidija Dimova, National European Integration Council, Ms. Vanja Macanović, European Women’s Lobby, Ms. Dalida Horvat, Association SOS Help-line for Women and Children – Victims of Violence, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Ms. Barbara Stelmaszek, Women against Violence Europe (WAVE), Ms. Biljana Nastovska, UNDP, Ms. Dominika Stojanoska, UN Women, and Ms. Stojanka Mircheva, expert.

More photos here.

On 21.06.2016, Peace Forum took place, organized by National Council for Gender Equality and HWPL/IWPG.

The Forum was an occasion for promotion of the Declaration for Peace and Cessation of Wars, discussion on the need for mobilization of the citizens in the advocacy activities for peace and cessation of wars, the possibilities of achieving peace and cessation of wars and the activities that need to be overtaken globally, as well as on the situation in the Republic of Macedonia regarding this issue.

Speakers at the Forum were: Ms Milka Ristova, former judge in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Macedonia, Ms Slagjana Taseva, President of Transparency International Macedonia, Ms Irina Pockova, President of GIZ Sveti Nikole and memeber of Regional Women's Lobby, Ms Savka Todorovska, President of National Council for Gender Equality and Ms Maja Staleska, President of Youth Center for Equal Opportunities.

More photos here.

Upon the initiative of National Council for Gender Equality round table took place on the need for amendments of the Law on Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence and sooner ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).

The aim of the meeting was to have a discussion on the efficiency of the Law on Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence, the need for its amending, as well as the need for ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).

Concrete proposals and recommendations were drawn from the meeting which could be used in the future process of advocacy and lobbying for ratification of the Istanbul Convention.

The 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women this year took place from 14 - 24 March.

This year priority theme was "Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development".

On the 24th the Agreed Conclusions were adopted on the priority theme, while the review theme at the session was "The elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls" from the fifty-seventh session of CSW.

Natasha Dimitrovska from NCGE participated at the session. She attended many side-events organized by NGOs on different topics, such as: Women and Media, Ending Violence against Women Globally, Women in Decision-Making Positions, Economic Empowerment of Women, etc.

The Commission on the Status of Women is also a great possibility for networking and establishing contacts with representatives from non-governmental organizations from around the world. 

On January 26 and 27, 2016, in Brussels, organized by the regional office of TACSO, a conference took place to discuss the sustainability of the regional networks of civil society organizations implementing projects from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), mmore specifically the Civil Society Facility (CSF) and the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA).

National Council for Gender Equality is part of the project "Coordinated efforts - Toward new European standards in protection of women from gender based violence" implemented by Autonomous Women's Center from Belgrade, Serbia.

Representative from NCGE at the conference was Natasha Dimitrovska.