Tokyo: Ambassador Kovač took part in a seminar on sexual and reproductive health and rights

16. Mar 2022.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Japan, H.E. Aleksandra Kovač, took part in an international seminar on sexual and reproductive health and rights, held at the Japanese Parliament, and jointly organised by the EU Delegation and the local NGO – the Japan Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning.

The seminar participants were addressed by the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan – Mr Takako Suzuki, representatives of the ruling and opposition parties in Parliament, the NGO sector, and members of the diplomatic corps (ambassadors of the EU, Norway, France, Ireland, Paraguay, Morocco, and Serbia).

In her address, Ambassador Kovač spoke about Serbia's advanced legislative framework and internationally recognised results concerning gender equality, about its identified challenges and its successful initiatives to improve informedness (engaging Roma women as mediators) and public health (introduction of free HPV vaccines). She also stressed the importance of the role of civil society organisations which, through cooperation with the relevant state institutions such as the Ministry of Health, contributed to the improvement of national policies, and listed positive examples of media campaigns designed to support victims and to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence.