„Serbian- American Women’s Leadership Network“ was created at the initiative of the Serbian Unity Congress, relying on the tradition of friendship and alliance between Serbia and the United States. The main goal of „Serbian- American Women’s Leadership Network“ is to connect Serbia and the United States through cooperation of women leaders from both countries. Network members are leaders from Serb
ia and the United States, from all areas of social and political life, especially in the field of politics, government institutions, media and PR, science, corporations and other areas of the economy. Other goals of „Serbian- American Women’s Leadership Network“ are:
To establish an initial core of professional and motivated women leaders in politics, government, media / public relations and other fields of economy and society in Serbia. Increase recognition and visibility of women leaders in the Serbian society. To build successful and lasting partnership between the women leaders from Serbia and their American colleagues in the U.S. Congress, politics, nonprofit organizations, PR and media organizations. Build bridges of cooperation between the Serbian and American society and contribute to improving relations between the two countries. Help Serbia to reach EU standards in terms of the number of women in leadership positions. Serbia is not using its talent pool efficiently and especially potential of women leaders is unused. Women in Serbia are among the most underutilized human resources at all levels of society and they make half of the workforce inSerbia. There is not yet an adequate system which would recognize and cherish women with leadership potential. Today, in a global world the role of women is increasingly recognized and changed, and they increasingly have the possibility to educate themselves for leadership positions and employ in same. Women in theUnited Statesnow hold 58 % of Bachelor’s Degrees. They are the largest consumers in the market, buying 83% of all goods. They increasingly occupy political leadership positions as well. The US Congress has 17 senators, and new administration has formed a position of Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, which shows the level of importance that is being given regarding women’s issues by the President and his whole administration. AlthoughSerbia’s current use of its talent pool is not efficient, in recent years progress has been made concerning women leadership. Serbia established the Gender Equality Council to support the advancement of women in various positions in Government and Parliament, and also the National Strategy for the Improvement of the Position of Women and the Advancement of Gender Equality was adopted. Serbian – American Women’s Leadership Network will play an important role in the ongoing process. It will not only link women in management positions in Serbia, but also connect and network them with their partners in theUnited States. This network will contribute to building a corps of women in management positions that will proactively influence the future of Serbia, improvement of its relations with theUS, the rapid democratization and the preparation for the EU accession. Establishment of “Serbian-American Women’s Leadership Network” was supported by the U.S. Government and the Government of the Republic of Serbia. The network has been created with the financial support of USAID Serbia, while implementation, organization and co financing is being done by Serbian Unity Congress Serbia with the help of Serbian Unity Congress US. Also, the network has been supported by numerous prominent individuals such as former Congresswoman and Chair of the lower house of the US Congress Ms. Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. Membership of Ms. Pelosi and Djukic Dejanovic has a symbolic value since the both of them reached the highest positions ever held by a woman in history of their countries. dr Slavica Djukic Dejanovic is also a patron of the network. State institutions of Serbia, the successful Serbian companies, NGOs, international organizations and prominent individuals have proposed network members from Serbia. Over a hundred proposals arrived. From this first group of successful professionals the Selection Commission consisting of: H.E. Ambassador of the US in Serbia Ms. Mary Warlick (delegated her voice); Ms. Suzan Fritz, Mission Director, USAID Serbia and Montenegro; Ms. Sonja Licht, President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence and President of the Foreign Policy Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Aleksandar Timofejev, Director and Editor in Chief of Radio Television Studio B; Prof. dr Srbobran Brankovic, Director and co-owner of TNS Medium GALLUP - public opinion, market and media research company and Dr Slavka Draskovic, President, Serbian Unity Congress Serbia chose a delegation of twenty network members to represent the network during the visit to the US. The project has special significance for the two countries, Serbia and the United States, which through influential women leaders in key positions in society their joint work and friendships will contribute to the development of these relations. Nominators and Commission had in mind three equally important criteria: the current success in career and achieved leadership roles as well as the potential for further leadership development; participation in social and political life of Serbia and former contacts with theUnited Statesand interest in improving cooperation with the US. Delegation of women leaders from Serbia during October 2011 was in official visit to US. While in New York and Washington women leaders from Serbia visited the most important institutions of theUS, such as: US Congress and State Department, numerous political, female and non-governmental organizations, science institutions, PR agencies, media as well as UN agencies where they had numerous meetings with their American colleagues. All the American leaders accepted the invitation to be the members of the Serbian – American Women’s Leadership Network, and that way the network is strengthen with over 50 prominent members from the US side. Together network members created „Serbian – American Women’s Leadership Paper“ as a platform for future cooperation. Leaders are linked based on their professional fields of interest, developing mutual cooperation and projects. In this way, by connecting their organizations, companies, institutions that they represent, leaders contribute to developing closer cooperation between Serbia and the United States. The network of cooperation and friendship will expand in the future through new members and joint activities. In the spring 2012. in Belgrade will be held major regional conference of Serbian – American Women’s Leadership Network. Conference will be devoted to women leadership and the role that women leaders have in development of modern societies. In the Balkan region, women’s leadership potentials are not recognized enough as well as possibilities of interconnections of women leaders and their joint cooperation. Regional approach to this topic will contribute to a better understanding of this topic and promoting better use of women leadership potential, which will contribute to faster development and democratization of societies in the Balkan region. In this regard, at the conference will be present beside the leaders formSerbia, prominent leaders form the region. This conference will of course be an opportunity for the return visit of the American counterparts. Delegation of women leaders fromSerbiamade many numerous contacts while in theUSand started cooperation with their American colleagues. And participation of these colleagues is expected on the conference as well as their support in strengthening women’s leadership inSerbiaand the region, and also support in general for further development ofSerbiaon its way toward EU integrations, further democratization, economic development and the rule of law.
„Srpsko-američka ženska liderska mreža“ je nastala na inicijativu Kongresa srpskog ujedinjenja naslanjajući se na tradiciju prijateljstva i savezništva između Srbije i SAD. Osnovni cilj „Srpsko-američke ženske liderske mreže“ je da poveže Srbiju i SAD kroz saradnju liderki iz obe zemlje. Članice mreže su liderke Srbije i Amerike iz svih oblasti društvenog i političkog života, a posebno iz oblasti politike, institucija vlasti, medija i PR-a, nauke, korporacija i drugih oblasti privrede. Ostali ciljevi „Srpsko-američke ženske liderske mreže“ su:
Uspostaviti inicijalno jezgro stručnih i motivisanih liderki u oblasti politike, državne uprave, medija/Odnosa s javnošću i drugih oblasti privrede i društva u Srbiji. Pružiti podršku formiranju osnovne strukture „Srpsko-američke ženske liderske mreže“
Povećati prepoznatljivost i vidljivost rada liderki u srpskom društvu
Promovisati žensko liderstvo
Izgraditi uspešna i trajna partnerstva između liderki Srbije i njihovih američkih koleginica u Kongresu SAD, politici, neprofitnim organizacijama, PR organizacijama i medijima. Graditi mostove saradnje između srpskog i američkog društva i doprinositi poboljšanju odnosa između dve zemlje. Pomoći Srbiji da dostigne standarde EU po pitanju broja žena na liderskim pozicijama. Srbija ne koristi u dovoljnoj meri sve svoje potencijale u ljudstvu, a posebno je neiskorišćen potencijal žena liderki. Žene u Srbiji su i dalje najmanje iskorišćen ljudski resurs na svim nivoima društva, a one čini polovinu radne snage u Srbiji. Još ne postoji sistem koji bi adekvatno prepoznao i negovao žene sa potencijalom za vođstvo. Danas u globalnom svetu uloga žene se sve više prepoznaje i menja, i one sve više imaju mogućnost da se obrazuju za vodeće pozicije i zapošljavaju na istim. U Sjedinjenim Državama 58% žena ima fakultetsku diplomu. One su i najveći potrošači na tržištu, kupuju 83 % svih roba. One sve više zauzimaju i političke liderske pozicije. U američkom Kongresu ima 17 senatorki, a nova administracija je I formirala poziciju Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, koja govori o značaju ženskog pitanja Predsedniku SAD-a i celoj administraciji. Iako Srbija trenutno ne koristi dovoljno ove svoje resurse, poslednjih godina i ona je napravila napredak u polju ženskog vođstva. Uspostavljen je Odbor za rodnu ravnopravnost da bi se podstaklo napredovanje žena na različite pozicije u Vladi i Parlamentu, a usvojena je i Nacionalna strategija za poboljšanje položaja žena i rodnu ravnopravnost. Srpsko Američka ženska liderska mreža će odigrati važnu ulogu u započetom procesu. Ona će ne samo umrežiti žene na rukovodećim pozicijama u Srbiji, nego ih i povezati i umrežiti sa njihovim partnerkama u Sjedinjenim Državama. Ova mreža će doprineti izgradnji korpusa žena na rukovodećim pozicijama koje će proaktivno uticati na budućnost Srbije, na poboljšanje njenih odnosa sa Amerikom, na bržu demokratizaciju i pripremu za ulazak u Evropsku Uniju. Osnivanje „Srpsko-američke ženske liderske mreže“ su podržale Vlada SAD i Vlada Srbije. Mreža je nastala uz finansijski podršku USAID Srbija, dok implemetaciju, organizaciju i kofinansiranje projekta radi Kongres srpskog ujedinjenja Srbija uz pomoć Kongresa srpskog ujedinjenja SAD. Takođe mrežu su podržali i brojni ugledni pojedinici poput kongresmenke i nekadašnje predsedavajuća donjeg doma Kongresa SAD gđa Nensi Pelosi i gđa Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, predsednica Narodne Skupštine Srbije. Članstvo gospođe Pelosa i Đukić-Dejanović ima i simbolički veliku vrednost jer su obe dostigle najviše rangiranu poziciju u koju je obavljala jedna žena u istoriji svojih zemalja. dr Slavica Đukić Dejanović je i pokrovitelj mreže sa srpske strane. Državne institucije Srbije, uspešne srpske kompanije, nevladin sektor, međunarodne organizacije i ugledni pojedinci su predložili članice mreže iz Srbije. Stiglo je preko stotinu predloga. Iz ove prve grupe uspešnih profesionalki izborna komisija u sastavu: Njenа Ekselencijа аmbаsаdorkа SAD-а u Srbiji gospođа Meri Vorlik (delegirala glas); šef misije USAID-а u Srbiji gospođa Suzаn Fric; gospođа Sonjа Liht, predsednicа Spoljno-političkog sаvetа Ministаrstvа spoljnih poslovа; g. Aleksаndаr Timofejev, direktor i urednik RTV Studio B; prof. dr Srbobrаn Brаnković, direktor i suvlаsnik аgencije Medium GALLUP i dr Slаvkа Drаšković, predsednicа Kongresа srpskog ujedinjenjа Srbijа, izabrali su delegaciju od dvadeset učesnica mreže koja će predstavljati mrežu tokom posete Sjedinjenim Državama. Projekat ima poseban značaj za dve zemlje, Srbiju i Sjedinjene Države, koje će preko uticajnih žena liderki na ključnim pozicijama u društvu, međusobnim radom i prijateljstvom doprineti razvoju ovih odnosa. Predlagači i komisija imali su u vidu tri podjednako važna kriterijuma: dosadašnji uspeh u profesionalnoj karijeri i ostvarena liderska uloga kao i potencijal za dalji liderski razvoj; učešće u društveno političkom životu u Srbiji i dosadašnji kontakti sa Sjednjenim Državama i zainteresovanost za unapšređenje saradnje sa SAD-om. Delegacija liderki iz Srbije je tokom oktobra 2011. godine boravila u zvaničnoj poseti SAD-u. Tom prilikom u Njujorku i Vašingtonu liderke iz Srbije su posetile najznačajnije instiucije SAD, kao što su: Kongres SAD i Stejt Department, brojne političke, ženske i nevladine organizacije, naučne institucije, PR agencije, medije kao i agencije UN gde su sa svojim američkim koleginicama održale brojne radne sastanke. Sve američke liderke su prihvatile poziv da budu članice „Srpsko-američke ženske liderske mreže“, tako da je mreža osnažena sa preko 50 uvaženih članica sa američke strane.
Članice mreže su zajedno kreirale „Srpsko-američki ženski liderski dokument“ kao platformu na osnovu koje su se povezuju i ostvaruju saradnju. Liderke se povezuju na osnovu svojih profesionalnih oblasti delovanja, razvijajući zajedničku saradnju i projekte. One tako, povezujući svoje organizacije, kompanije i institucije koje predstavljaju, na najbolji način doprinose i povezivanju i saradnji između Srbije i SAD. Mreža saradnje i prijateljstva će se širiti u budućnosti priključivanjem novih uspešnih članica, i zajedničkim aktivnostima. Na proleće 2012. godine predstoji u Beogradu velika regionalna konferencija Srpsko američke ženske liderske mreže. Konferencija će biti posvećena ženskom liderstvu i tome kako žene lideri doprinose razvoju modernih društava. U regionu Balkana još nisu dovoljno dovoljno prepoznati potencijali ženskog liderstva i mogućnosti međusobnog povezivanja i delovanja žena lidera. Regionalni pristup ovoj temi doprineće boljem razumevanju teme i unapređenju boljeg korišćenja ženskog liderskog potncijala, što će svakako doprineti bržem razvoju i demokratizaciji društava balkanskih zemalja. S tim u vezi biće prisutne pored liderki iz Srbije i istaknute liderke iz zemalja regiona. Ova konferencija će naravno biti prilika za i uzvratnu posetu američkih koleginica Srbiji. Delegacija liderki iz Srbije je prilikom posete SAD ostvarila brojne kontakte, započele saradnju sa svojim američkim koleginicama. S tim u vezi, očekuje se učestvovanje koleginica iz SAD na konferenciji i njihova podrška daljem razvoju ženskog liderstva u Srbiji i regionu, kao i opšta podrška napretku Srbije na putu evrointegracija, demokratizacije, razvoja privede i vladavine prava.
