Do the actual women NGO strategies give results?

In the traditionally female month, March, on the "Civic World" sites www.graganskisvet.org.mk and www.civicworld.org.mk the question related to women NGO activities will be in the center of attention. We invite you for a discussion about the strategies that women NGOs carry out in Macedonia. Do they give the results wanted? Or, is it time to re-direct the activities for gaining more rights and equal treatment into a more modern direction, adjusted to the domestic needs? We invite you to enter the discussion on this interesting subject at the Forum on our web-sites. Please enter the discussion under your full name and surname and state the name of your NGO (if you are a member of any). In order to start a quality debate, we asked several people active in the civic sector in Macedonia this question. Here is their opinion:

Gjuner Nebiu, Women Civic Initiative, "Antiko":
Results have been obvious in almost all fields in which women organizations engaged themselves in the last 10 years, starting from their participation in the economic and political processes, legal and political measures related to the status of women, solving problems to specific groups of women, etc.
On the other hand, if we ask ourselves whether women in Macedonia profit in the same proportion with the investments done in the women NGO sector and whether their overall social position is improved considerably as a result of the women nongovernmental organizing in Macedonia, the answer will not be that simple.

Daniela Dabeska, Shelter Center:
The women movement in Macedonia in the last decade has been acting in creating better climate for the women in Macedonia. But the strategy that they apply is far from being good. Women organizations in Macedonia are unanimous only in their declaration as fighters for female human rights and many of these organizations use the principle of closure. The basic strategy should be based in the spirit of mutual work, common understanding, supporting, exchange of experiences, information. As soon as women non-governmental organizations manage to unite their mutual energy, we can hope for a strategy that will have an impact on the necessary changes. 

From the last month's debate
Can the citizens realize their right of public participation in the official decision-making?

The question at the last month's "Civic World" Forum was related to the civic right for participation in the government bodies' work. Has the public in our country an opportunity to participate in the creation of policy, passing of different laws, decisions and other acts? How much does the government take into consideration the public opinion, how much does it encourage it through public discussions and other forms? How transparently does the government work and inform the citizens about it?
You can still answer this question at the Forum on the "Civic World" web-sites: www.graganskisvet.org.mk and www.civicworld.org.mk. Here are the opinions of some NGO representatives in our country on this subject:

Elizabeta Janevska:
I think that in our country there is and there is no possibility for civic participation in the government work. I say there "is" because there are some legal possibilities, and I say that there "isn't" because those possibilities are not realized in practice. I blame both, the citizens and the government for it. Unfortunately, it is in the nature of every government to keep its activities to itself, not to allow great public participation in its work. On the other hand, the citizens are those who need to stand up for their rights, among which is the right to participate in the government work and "tailor" their destiny themselves - influence the politics, laws and regulations. The problem is that our citizens, the citizens of Macedonia are very passive in this field.
Of course, not much has passed from the times when the government and the citizens were completely separated. However, a new time has come, another, democratic system and we must not stay passive. We have to use the legal possibilities to the maximum and take part in the decision-making and the creation of the policy. In addition, if those legal possibilities are not enough, we should fight to improve them and initiate the passing of new ones.