The European Commission’s 2020 report on the Republic of North Macedonia brought a series of comments and recommendations on the country’s progress in terms of human rights, freedom of expression, and the fight against corruption and organized crime, the functioning of institutions and reforms in the administration, as well as in political and economic context.
Chapter 23 provides an overview of progress in the field of basic human rights through the prism of access to abortion, HIV services, sexual and reproductive health of Roma women, and family and gender-based violence. Chapter 19, on the other hand, refers to social policies and employment and provides comments on the inclusion of Roma and the employment of Roma women in Macedonia.
The analysis of the comments contained in the Report, primarily on the sexual and reproductive health and inclusion of Romani men and women in our country, shows that although small steps have been taken in the right direction on certain issues, in general neither a setback nor a significant improvement has been noted regarding the sexual and reproductive rights and the inclusion of the Roma population. This could change – for the better – if the clear recommendations made in the Report are implemented.
