Short description: The project will contribute to the development of NES staff capacities and raise the awareness about gender equality in the Serbian Labour Market. The project will be implemented so as to ensure the acquisition of basic knowledge to the NES staff to address the gender equality issues that occur in the daily work with NES clients in the local labour market (municipality/region). Since NES clients are the unemployed persons, employed persons and employers, the project will re-examine the current NES activities related to gender equality and equal opportunities and identify the missing skills of the staff in this field. The project will attempt to rectify the identified shortcomings through training and thus contribute to eliminating the grounds for gender discrimination in the labour market.

  Achieved results: Short-term result 1: The base for planning of future NES activities in the area of gender equality/equal opportunities for women and men established The research was conducted throughout Serbia, in 32 NES Branch Offices, on a sample of 306 employees (about 20% of the total number of NES employees). The research encompassed the employees: • of both genders (73% women and 27% men, corresponding to the gender structure of NES), • from different age groups (36-45 (40,3%), 26-35 (30,2%), 46-55 (22%)), • with different qualification level (VII - 71,7%, IV - 18%, VI - 10,3%). Regarding the type of tasks performed, employment counsellors prevailed (32%) in the structure of the polled (306 NES employees), followed by registrars (15,3%), employment programme organizers (12,7%) and adult education organizers (8,0%). 35.8% of the polled attended the training in gender equality (basic level), and 64.2% did not attend this training. Statistical data produced within the project activity ‘’Research’’, conclusions derived from the results and proposed measures for enhancing gender equality in NES can be found in the document ‘’Research on the Implementation of Gender Equality in NES’’. Short-term result 2: Building the competences of NES counsellors in Branch Offices for the purpose of ensuring equal gender treatment in rendering services to clients of both genders (unemployed, employed and employers) In 11 NES Branch Offices, 330 employees successfully completed the basic training in gender equality (which is 3.3 times more that the expected norm for this project activity). The training was conducted in NES premises (intended for trainings), with equipment (overhead projector, flip chart, board, etc.) and training material provided by NES (the material was printed in the NES Head Office, transported to the relevant Branch Office and distributed to participants; these costs were cover by NES, i.e. the project budget funds envisaged for this purpose were not used). Before the training started, the meeting of Branch Office Director, appointed Branch Office employee (additionally responsible for elaboration of project ideas and development of project documentation) and NES Project Coordinator was held. The necessity of further implementation of gender equality in the Branch Office was confirmed, and direct communication about relevant projects (aiming at enhancing the gender equality implementation) was recognized as good practice of Branch Offices which had already carried out the project activity ’’Trainings for Employees’’.

Comment: *The project is funded by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) under the project “Improvement of Economic and Social Rights of Women in Serbia and Montenegro” 2010–2012