The WMG Foundation organised the second Women in Diplomacy Luncheon as part of the SpOna women’s initiative, following the first gathering held in June. The event brought together women from the diplomatic community and civil society, creating an opportunity to exchange perspectives, present SpOna’s planned activities through the year end, and discuss opportunities for cooperation on future projects.
The luncheon brought together 15 women from a range of fields, who exchanged experiences, knowledge and ideas while exploring opportunities for joint action aimed at creating new opportunities for women and girls, as well as strengthening their visibility, confidence, leadership and active role in the community.
The event was attended by H.E. Kristin Melsom, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Serbia; H.E. Avivit Bar-Ilan, Ambassador of Israel to Serbia; H.E. Anne Lugon-Moulin, Ambassador of Switzerland to Serbia; H.E. Maria Clara de Abreu Rademaker, Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil; Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia; Biljana Sirovica, Secretary General of the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce; Marija Tikvički, President of the Croatian Business Club; Sanja Radlovački, Executive Director of the UAE Chamber of Commerce; Dr Jelena Aničin Sadler, Executive Director of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce; Violeta Jovanović, Executive Director of NALED; as well as Marijana Raletić Stojanović and Ivana Megovska Petković, representing the OSNAŽENE platform. Ana Aleksić, Irena Petrović, Ruža Veljović, Bojana Zimonjić and Jelena Avramović attended on behalf of WMG and the WMG Foundation.
“We want SpOna to be a space from which concrete initiatives, partnerships and long-term cooperation can emerge. By bringing together women from different fields, with diverse experiences, knowledge and professional networks, we are creating a foundation for broader social impact and new opportunities for women and girls. It is precisely in this kind of networking that we see the strength of this initiative and its potential to bring relevant stakeholders together around common goals,” said Ana Aleksić, member of the WMG Board and Chair of the WMG Foundation Board of Trustees.
At the event, the SpOna women’s initiative’s programme of activities until the year end was presented, while a significant part of the discussion focused on areas where participants identified opportunities for joint action and ways in which their experiences, knowledge and professional networks could be brought together through future activities and projects.
Particular emphasis was placed on developing partnerships that could contribute to creating long-term opportunities for women and girls and to their more equal and visible participation in social life.
“Our aim is for the dialogue and exchange of ideas fostered through SpOna to serve as the basis for concrete activities, projects and partnerships. This meeting enabled us to jointly identify where there is the greatest scope for cooperation and how we can bring together different forms of knowledge, experience and resources. In the period ahead, we will continue to develop SpOna through activities that connect participants and create sustainable opportunities for women and girls,” concluded Irena Petrović, Director of the WMG Foundation.
The SpOna women’s initiative is a project of the WMG Foundation dedicated to connecting the knowledge and experiences of women from different fields, with the aim of strengthening their professional and social impact. SpOna is developing a network of cooperation and support that brings together diverse perspectives and creates opportunities for joint activities and projects aimed at promoting the active and equal participation of women in all spheres of social life.
