Equal representation of women in leadership and decision-making positions is no longer just a matter of equality, but also of effectiveness and long-term sustainable development. According to research, companies and public sector institutions with diverse leadership not only achieve better results, innovation, and sustainable growth, but also demonstrate greater resilience. Despite progress in recent years, women still face serious barriers to entering and advancing in leadership structures. This is especially true for the Western Balkan region, where legal frameworks often exist, but their implementation and monitoring remain limited. These issues were the focus of the roundtable discussion on “Advancing Gender Equality in Leadership and Governance,” which was held yesterday at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of North Macedonia. The event was organized by Women on Boards Adria (WOBA), with support from the European Investment Bank (EIB), and brought together representatives from nearly all of Macedonia's most successful companies, the Government, international institutions, academia, and civil society organizations.

EU Directive 2022/2381 on improving the gender balance on boards of directors sets clear targets for increasing the representation of women, Specifically, by June 30, 2026, public limited companies must achieve either a 40 percent female representation among non-executive directors or a 33 percent female representation among all board positions. Of the approximately 90 listed companies in the country, women make up 26.6 percent of the boards of directors, which is an increase from previous years, but this percentage still needs to be improved.

Achieving greater representation of women should not be the responsibility of publicly traded companies alone, but of all companies in the country. In the organizations we represent, we can be women, leaders, and managers all at the same time, and we need to bring that into our society as well. A woman should have the freedom to choose, but she must have support, and that support needs to come from society, at the state level. If we want women to be mothers, there must be a solid childcare system. If that doesn't exist, a woman has to incur additional expenses, and all of this forces her to choose between being a successful businesswoman and fulfilling her role as a mother. “That's why the system must be sustainable,” emphasized Dr. Katerina Boshevska, CEO of EOS Matrix for Macedonia and Kosovo and WOBA ambassador in the country.

She shared her company's experience, highlighting three key pillars that are applied: clear metrics, capacity building, and taking responsibility.

“Clear measures” refers to transparent procedures for hiring, promotion, and equal access to all opportunities for women. Capacity building refers to special leadership and mentorship programs designed for women who want to advance in their careers. And, accountability means establishing clear performance indicators and comparability of results, as well as pay equity," explained Boshevska. The country's Minister of Energy, Sanja Bozinovska, emphasizes that it will take 57 years to “close” the country's current gender gap. Her position is that transformation requires more than regulation; it requires courage and commitment from governments, businesses, and each of us. According to the EU Ambassador, Michael Rojas, the EU and the country should jointly intensify efforts to align with Union legislation to strengthen female leadership, and political will and gender-sensitive budgeting are necessary. Tanja Mihajlovska Dimitrievska, the lead ambassador for Women on Boards Adria (WOBA) in North Macedonia, emphasizes that the country lacks a legal mechanism to make balanced boards of directors the rule, not the exception.