The Research Center in Gender Studies introduces, pursues and promotes the academic legitimacy of the gender/women's/feminist studies research, theoretical investigation and education in Macedonia and in the region of SEE. As a result of its consistent focusing on this basic mission, RCGS succeeded to influence the formal educational system in Macedonia and to incite establishing postgraduate courses in gender studies within the universities in the country. Main achievement in this sense has been the establishing of a joint, inter-institutional Center for Curriculum Development in the Area of Gender studies with the State University – “St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje. These achievements have been accomplished through the wide Network of researchers and educators from various disciplinary areas, existing within the structure of the Center.

Furthermore, the Center has identified the need of acting on a less academic level which will communicate closely with the activism. The idea of informal, alternative education in the field of gender/women’s studies was realized through the Center’s School for Gender and Politics. Huge interest for this School proved that the mission of the Center, beside its academic aspect, directly concerns a broad target group and is based on the real needs of the women’s activist initiative.

The regional component is of key-importance for the Center’s work and self-positioning: It is one of the creators of the Regional Network for Gender/Women’s Studies in SEE, organizer of the Regional Seminar for Excellence in Teaching in the fields of Gender and European Studies (with HESP), 2004-2006, among other important regional projects. Let us mention also the following: Regional Summer School in Gender Studies – Ohrid  Summer University 2001 (supported by HESP-Budapest), Regional Summer School in Contemporary Philosophy, offering a 10 day course in feminist philosophy – Ohrid Summer University 2002 (supported by HESP-Budapest), as well as the publishing of the regionally distributed Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture "Identities" (in English, Macedonian and Albanian.)

Another essential part of the work of the Center is the promotion and affirmation of women's rights as human rights and gender equality in Macedonia. Namely, RCGS has its own database concerning the condition of women’s rights and gender relations in Macedonia, which provides rich information on these issues, that can be used for the affirmation and the promotion of the work done by the women activist groups in Macedonia.

The Research Center in Gender Studies offers space for research and theoretical discourse that introduces and promotes the standpoint and the perspective of theoretical and intellectual, political, social and sexual marginality into the Macedonian theoretical/scientific and public discourse.

Team

Organizationally, the RCGS is comprised of:

a) Academic advisory board (AAB) of 5 members
b) Network of more than 60 scholars/academics/researchers affiliated to the Center
c) Director of the Center
d) Program Manager
e) Project Coordinator
f) Project Assistant

Contacts

Research Center in Gender Studies
“Euro-Balkan” Institute
Bul. Partizanski Odredi 63
1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Tel./Fax: + 389 2 307 55 70, + 389 2 309 07 31
e-mail: rcgs@sonet.com.mk

Katerina Kolozova
Director
kate@sonet.com.mk

Dusica Dimitrovska-Gajdoska
Program Manager
dusica@sonet.com.mk

Dragana Karovska-Cemerska
Project Coordinator
dragana@sonet.com.mk

Viktorija Gavritova
Project Assistant
viki@euba.org.mk