The conference on "National Research on Factors Contributing to the 'Glass Ceiling' Effect for Women in Business" was held at the National Assembly of Serbia. In his opening address, Assembly President Ivica Dačić expressed great interest in the research results and hoped that they would provide answers to questions that, as he noted, have been sidelined in our society, even though they concern nearly every family and workplace.
"The focus is on the position of women in the workplace, particularly the obstacles that still hinder their ability to fully showcase their potential, knowledge, and creativity. The term 'glass ceiling' aptly describes the phenomenon many women encounter in their careers—seemingly open paths to advancement and professional development, yet barriers remain that make this path difficult or entirely blocked," said Dačić.
He expressed hope that the research would identify these obstacles to make them easier to address. "Regarding state institutions, it took years and significant persistence to incorporate obligations for certain levels of female representation into our laws and regulations. Today, anyone wishing to enter Parliament must nominate at least 40% women. A similar ratio applies to the Government, so we now have about 45% women in the two highest state bodies. I have long advocated for such measures, not to fill quotas, but because I understand the importance of having more women in decision-making processes, contributing their creativity and life experience to public and societal interests," emphasized Dačić.
Member of Parliament and President of the Serbian-American Friendship Congress Prof. Dr. Vladimir Marinković thanked the Assembly President on behalf of the Congress for supporting this initiative and all that is important for the overall societal development in our country, aiming for a better and higher-quality environment for further economic, political, and democratic progress. "One of the key issues is the advancement of women's rights. I hope we will draw conclusions today on how to continue and work together continuously on this significant topic," said Marinković.
Marinković also thanked representatives from the Serbian Government, members of Parliament, the business community, non-governmental organizations, and the media for their support on a topic of great importance to society as a whole.
Tamara Milovanović, Vice President for Finance at Philip Morris International for Eastern Europe, stated that her company is dedicated to systematically addressing gender equality in the workplace. "The result of this approach is that half of the managerial positions in the Serbian branch of the company are held by women, which is a significant achievement considering that we also have a factory here, traditionally viewed as a male-dominated field."
Milovanović added that the significant income gap highlighted by the Faktori Plus research has also been bridged at Philip Morris. This is evidenced by the 'Equal Salary' certification received in 2019, confirming that women and men in the same positions are paid equally. Milovanović concluded that it is significant that examples like this exist in Serbia and can be used as models for creating a fair business environment for all.
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality Prof. Dr. Zorana Mihajlović specifically addressed a discouraging statistic from the research, noting that only four percent of women hold managerial positions. "No one can convince me that there are not many more women in Serbia who can be directors, presidents, and board members," said the Minister. She highlighted that Serbia has established a legal framework for gender equality, but this is not enough, and she hopes that the new Assembly and Government will focus more on including women in the labor market.
The conference concluded with a presentation of the research results, followed by a discussion.
