Marija Obrenović, Acting President of Serbia’s State Audit Institution (DRI), emphasized the urgent need to improve gender-responsive budgeting, particularly at the local government level, noting that gender equality remains a significant global challenge.
Citing the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, Obrenović highlighted that at the current pace, achieving global gender parity will take 131 years, with no country having reached it yet.
Serbia stands out as one of the few non-EU countries to incorporate gender-responsive budgeting into its Budget System Law. Since 2017, the State Audit Institution has monitored and reported on how public budget users integrate gender budgeting elements in their financial planning.
Obrenović stressed the DRI’s commitment to enhancing gender sensitivity in auditing public funds and referenced a recent comprehensive audit on gender-responsive budgeting in Serbia.
In 2023, Serbia coordinated a parallel audit aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.”
Ljupka Mihajlovska, adviser on gender equality, described gender-responsive budgeting as a tool for fair resource distribution and building a more inclusive, prosperous society. She noted progress since gender equality perspectives were introduced into the Budget Law and mentioned government initiatives to fund civil society organizations working on violence prevention from a gender equality viewpoint.
Jorgovanka Tabaković, governor of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), highlighted the bank’s strong gender equality standing—ranking seventh globally among central banks according to the 2025 Gender Equality Index. She pointed out that women currently hold the top leadership positions at the NBS, reflecting their competence and contribution to financial stability.
