On September 27, 2023 The Center for Democracy Foundation organized a meeting of the Expert Thematic Group “Eradication of Poverty”, within the Social Pillar of the “SDGs for ALL” Platform.

The objective of the meeting was to present the draft of the advocacy initiative “Clarifying the concept of single parents”. The discussion revealed the need to expand the definition of single parents within the national legal system, and include the category of parents who take care of children alone or mostly alone, as well as to develop measures to improve the position of this category of the population.

Although the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia guarantees special protection to single parents, available data on the socio-economic position of single-parent families show that they are in a significantly less favorable position than two parent households.

Analyses of the position of single parents and parents who take care of their children alone or mostly alone show that they face numerous problems: unresolved housing issues, unemployment, discrimination during employment, discrimination at work and work-related discrimination, lack of finances, failure to pay child support for the child by the other parent, lack of help from the other parent in the process of caring for the child, absence of adequate social – institutional and non-institutional support. 34.7% of single parent households are at risk of poverty, and nearly half (48.9%) of single parents and their children are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

• The discussion included the following participants:
• Sarita Bradaš, Center for Democracy Foundation
• Marija Zarić and Relja Pantić, Office of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality
• Lidija Kuzmanov, researcher
• Dragan Stanojević, Institute for Sociological Research
• Nataša Vučković, Center for Democracy Foundation
• Ivona Gvozdenović, Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation
• Tatjana Macura, Moms are the law
• Marija Sara Jovanović, lawyer in the field of family law
• Mina Rolović-Jočić, Center for Democracy Foundation
• Gordana Savić, Užice Center for Human Rights and Democracy
• Jelena Nešić, “SDGs for ALL ”Platform
• Milena Mićović Trajković, Center for Democracy Foundation

The final proposal for the advocacy initiative will be discussed with stakeholders at a public debate on October 17, 2023, to be followed by an advocacy campaign.