The Union of Woman’s Organization of the Republic of Macedonia, in the frame of their established strategies, enduringly works on the issue of the gender equality and gender awareness, as a base to create new and more human relations in the society.
The years of experience of the UWOM, gained working and communicating with women from urban and rural environments, can comparatively point out that in the rural environments the traditional, in fact patriarchal model is more present in organizing the family obligations. According to the traditional standards and values, women are those who in the first place abstain from further education in the institutions for higher education due to family obligations, children care and etc. On the other hand this input of women’s effort is not valued and doesn’t provide means for existence and economical independence. In these conditions woman is accepting the subordinated role which is imposed, without opportunity to participate in the process of decision making in the family, and further more in the society.
The complexity of resolving the gender issues based on the facts from above, indicates necessity of comprehensive analyses and initiative for activities that will lead to develop gender relations and in the same time will overcome the existing prejudices and stereotypes, which reduces the involvement of women in the current flows of the society.
The aim of the project “Gender concept in the rural environment in the Republic of Macedonia” is to establish the facts of the gender development and recognition of the gender identity in the rural areas in the RM. Although this projects is only the first phase from the cycle of researches for the gender relations and gender role in RM, it will contribute to shape gender report which will indicate allegation, rather than just presenting the conclusions from the questionnaire fulfilled at a certain moment With other words, statistics of the data will indicate future direction of actions and activities in favor of the gender awareness and also enhancement of the public awareness relating these questions.