North Macedonia

Women and girl survivors of gender-based violence can now benefit from an amended Criminal Code which defines and criminalizes most forms of violence against women, harmonized with the standards of the Istanbul Convention. Five years after the adoption of the National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention (2018-2023), in February 2023 the Parliament of North Macedonia adopted the amendments to the Criminal Code harmonizing it with the standards of the Istanbul Convention. The Code now defines gender-based violence against women and victims of gender-based violence (GBV); it criminalizes stalking, female genital mutilation, sexual harassment including in the online space. The definition of rape is now based on consent, and it incriminates rape of a current or previous spouse or intimate partner. The Code also criminalizes the murder of women and girls within GBV (i.e. femicide) and includes economic and psychological violence as types of domestic violence. Additional crimes were amended to include stricter penalties if they are committed as a part of, or are consequence, of GBV.
UN Women supported the process by participating in technical working meetings, providing expert advice, organizing discussions with civil society organizations, and by supporting an awareness-raising campaign for the public on the Istanbul Convention’s provisions and the urgent need to amend the Criminal Code.?Moreover, the background work in amending the Criminal Code included a gap analysis of the country’s commitments under the Istanbul Convention and the provisions of its Criminal Code, and subsequent advocacy and expert-level dialogue with the Government and Parliament to amend existing legislation in the field of gender-based violence and gender-based discrimination, in line with the Istanbul Convention. These were collaborative efforts between UN Women and CSO partners Centre for Research and Policy Making, the National Network on Ending Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, and the Macedonian Women’s Lobby.
The result contributes towards the achievement of SDG 5 targets 5.2 and 5.9, and UNSDCF Outcome 2.?
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