SERBIA

Government
From 1945 until 2003, Serbia was the largest of the autonomous states within the constitutional Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It has 7.5 million people, and the national language is Serbian. By 2000, the only two states left in Yugoslavia were Serbia and Montenegro. (Kosovo is technically a part of Serbia, but is currently a UN protectorate.) After attempting to alter the 2000 Yugoslav election results, Serbian nationalist Slobodan Milosevic was peacefully ousted from power, and Vojislav Kostunica was elected President of the Federation in September 24, 2000. On February 4, 2003, the Yugoslav parliament adopted the Constitutional Charter and Implementation Law, which ended the nation known as Yugoslavia and began the official state union of "Serbia and Montenegro." The new state of Serbia and Montenegro has a president and a parliamentary system of government based on free and fair multi-party elections. The current President of Serbia and Montenegro, selected in March 2003, is Svetozvar Marovic.

Serbia and Montenegro also each have their own state Presidents. In the election for President of Serbia in 2002, former Yugoslav President Kostunica led all candidates in the elections, but due to a poor voter turnout did not garner the required 50 percent of the registered voter support. Therefore, Serbian Parliament Speaker Natasa Micic became acting Serbian President, until Presidential elections can be held in late 2003. In early 2003, Serbian Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic, a reform-minded leader, was assassinated. The new Prime Minister is Zoran Zivkovic. Authorities suspect organized criminal groups with ties to former President Milosevic are responsible for Djindjic's murder, and thousands of arrests have been made. This recent setback in the country's move towards democracy and reconstruction has also slowed the economy.

Economy
Unemployment is relatively high at 30 percent. Human rights organizations allege that corruption plays a large part in economic instability within the country. The foreign aid received by Serbia is used mostly to repair infrastructure and to care for the large number of refugees and internally displaced persons within the country - many being Roma or Croatian Serbs. Roma refugees range in number from 40,000 to 45,000. Many live in makeshift camps outside urban centers.

Media and Human Rights
Freedom of the media is granted under the Serbian Law on Broadcasting. However, the law is only partially implemented, and political party influence over the media is still a major problem. Many citizens do not trust their media due to this political influence and think that many news sources are beholden to the government. Over 90 percent of the media provides entertainment only. Of the 10 percent providing news coverage, the newspapers, daily Danas and weekly Vreme, are critical of the new government, and the weekly NIN and Radio B92 also remain confrontational. While human rights abuses are on the decline, many problems remain. Police beatings of detainees, in particular religious minorities and Roma, have continued, albeit to a lesser degree than in recent past.

Gender Issues
Both the federal laws of Serbia and Montenegro and the national laws of Serbia provide for equality of women, based on Serbia and Montenegro's Charter on Human and Minority Rights and the Constitution of Serbia, respectively. Agreements made through international treaties, such as Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), also take precedence over national laws. However, there are no ways to redress gender-based discrimination through the courts. For this reason, women rarely seek assistance in stopping domestic violence or sexual harassment on the job.

Domestic violence is a major concern to women in Serbia. In 2002 - 2003, Serbia amended its Penal Code to prohibit domestic violence. However, many judges and enforcement officers are unaware of these amendments. Furthermore, women themselves often see domestic violence as a 'private matter' that cannot be dealt with outside the home. Women's organizations are working hard to reach as many domestic violence victims as possible. Sexual harassment remains a problem for many women as well. There are no laws protecting women from harassment, and many see it merely as a 'way of life.' Currently, women earn on average 11 percent less than their male counterparts.

While the women's movement has often been pushed aside by policy-makers to focus on rebuilding a nation devastated by war, active women's organizations have made significant progress. There are organizations focusing on issues ranging from Roma women's rights to female political participation. Women have begun in recent years to participate in local and national politics. In 2002, there were 10 women in the 178-seat former Yugoslav Federal Parliament (5.6% of the total,) 27 women in the 250-seat Serbian Parliament, and 4 women in the Serbian Cabinet. Women currently hold the positions of Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Commissioner for Refugees, Minister for Social Welfare, Minister for Transportation and Telecommunication, and President of the Serbian Supreme Court. However, according to women's organizations focusing on political participation, many women living in rural areas are effectively forced to 'give' their vote to their fathers or husbands.