Serbia

Women are taking an increasingly active role as decision-makers in Serbian politics, but some bloggers say more steps should be taken to ensure greater participation at the highest levels of government.

While there were virtually no women in politics in Serbia in the recent past, the situation changed since the democratic changes in 2000 that culminated with the passage in 2011 of the country's election law, which stipulates women must constitute 30 percent of Serbia's parliament.

At present, women constitute 33 percent of MPs.

NGOs in Serbia fear that in the coming reshuffle, the government will veer from the European standard of having at least 30 percent of women in its ranks.

Belgrade-based daily Danas reports that a letter cautioning that women should make up at least 30 percent the new government was sent on Monday to all members of the national parliament.

Members of the parliamentary Committee on Human and Minority Rights, and Commissioner for Equality Nevena Petrušić also received the letter.

Serbia, an aspiring European Union member, succeeded in increasing the percentage of women in its Parliament substantially within the last year. It is consequently ahead of the United States and many other developed countries and older democracies by several spots on a global female Parliamentarian leader list.

In the last session of the Serbian Parliament, women made up 55 members out of 250 total or roughly 22% of members in the Serbian National Assembly. This placed Serbia 56th on the Inter-Parliamentary Union global list, tying the Czech Republic.