Master’s study program LAW and GENDER (LAWGEM) has been the result of a successful implementation of the project Erasmus Plus Strategic Partnership in Higher Education, named: New Quality in Education for Gender Equality – Strategic Partnership for the Development of Master’s Study Program `Law and Gender` – LAWGEM, from 2019 to 2022, with consortium partners: University of Belgrade Faculty of Law, Cadiz University from Spain, LUMSA University from Italy, Saarland University from Germany and Orebro University from Sweden. The final grade which the LAWGEM project had received from the European Commission was 95 points from the possible 100 ones, and LAWGEM estimated as the example of a good practice project.
The deliverables of this project have represented a high quality sources of gender competent knowledge production, and they will serve as valuable educational tools for students of Law and Gender master`s program; the textbook Gender Competent Legal Education, published by the Springer as an open access book, and the Life Long Learning Platform (http://lllp/lawgem.ius.bg.ac.rs) will be of a great help with a huge amount of a high quality recordings and information represent an extraordinary valuable
Study program Law and Gender will represent a true trigger in advancing legal education in Serbia, Europe and the world. All higher education institutions across EU and European countries as well as the universities across the globe do need introducing gender competent knowledge in all fields of law and social sciences and humanities. This master`s study program will be the first one which will offer the systemic reconsidering of legal knowledge from gender equality perspective. Its pioneering role will boost introducing gender equality perspective at other faculties of law and in different fields of higher education at many other universities.
This study program is also attractive for students from other countries, not only from the region and Europe, but also world-wide. Law and Gender study program will be also interesting for applicants for the mobility programs of the European Commission related to the exchange of students and professors. Students who will graduate from this master will be able to continue their education at doctoral studies in the country and abroad. Due to acquired competences, the LAWGEM foreign and domestic students will have more opportunities to find employment in the government ministries, in European institutions, at universities, in all sections of local and state administration in Serbia or other countries.
The two century long tradition of the University of Belgrade and the Faculty of Law has been the basis of the high quality of the academics who have been teaching at the Faculty of Law. More than 30 academic staff members from the Faculty of law will take part in conduction this master`s study program. However, in conducting Law and Gender will also take part prestigious guest lecturers.
National Body for Accreditation and providing Quality in Higher Education – Commission for Accreditation and Control of the Quality, announced the Decision of Accreditation for Law and Gender master’s program on November 28, 2023.
The objectives of the program are:
- To offer adequate knowledge and skills for the work on both legal and other jobs related to the gender mainstreaming in all relevant fields of law-making and law implementation including in judiciary, decision-making in the governments and state administration, state/regional/local policy-making related to economics, social security, media, culture, and concerning the academic gender sensitive knowledge production in the fields of law as well as other social sciences and humanities.
- To form personnel capable and competent to perform tasks that require expertise within the gender mainstreaming of legal professions (judiciary, advocacy, prosecution, state administration), and in regards of gender sensitive decision making in social, cultural, economic, educational public policies.
The outcomes of the learning acquired after completion of the program are:
- To offer in-depth knowledge of reasons for gender mainstreaming of law, economics, politics and policies of the European Union and its member states and accession countries, and of the relations between the European Union and other international organizations and states from the point of gender sensitive strategic and normative documents production and especially from the point of introducing and developing gender competent legal studies at the EU universities and the accession countries` universities. The end result of this program shall also be to expand the practical knowledge related to gender equality implementation through Legal Clinics focused on the issues of anti-discrimination and combatting gender based violence and sexual harassment, and through the Life Long Learning Platform ( focused on enhancing knowledge, system of values and awareness on gender equality issues beyond the scope of academic community, i.e. throughout the wider public sphere;
- To learn about the practice of the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights in gender equality related case law, and making it possible for students of this master’s degree program to access opportunities for internships, as well as expert jobs in European judicial institutions.
- To acquire gender sensitive theoretical and practical knowledge, professional competences in all relevant areas of creation, interpretation and implementation of law reconsidered from gender perspective, understanding and implementing European and national law in a gender competent way, understanding advantages and disadvantages of political and economic system of the EU and of particular countries including Serbia from gender equality point of view, to envision most important public policies revisions in favor of improving gender equality conditions.
- To acquire gender sensitive academic competences that enable further education and innovation of knowledge, through doctoral studies both in the country and abroad, with keeping the track with the mentioned innovative gender equality approach.
- To reconsider the fields of law, politics, economy, public policies, media, culture, management, education from the point of gender equality for purposes of overcoming and diminishing traditionalist power relations and male dominance, and preventing a further reproduction of patriarchal social roles in the mentioned fields.
- To offer appropriate responses to contemporary needs for overcoming the structural lack of gender equality perspective in higher education and shortcomings in implementing the strategically proposed gender mainstreaming in legal, social, economic, political fields in contemporary societies. This master` s study program will boost gender mainstreaming in higher education, with respecting and acting in accordance with the European values, with high standards of European Higher Education Аrea and European culture of gender equality promoted throughout decades.
Competences of Learning Graduates are:
By completing the degree program, students will be formed as a staff characterized by the following qualities and capacities:
- Acquiring the gender equality perspective in the knowledge quality and content;
- Competence to understand the general sense and importance of gender mainstreaming in higher and legal education, starting from positive law fields up to all multidisciplinary fields of legal education;
- Competences for synthetic thinking on history and perspectives of legal knowledge in a sense of reconsidering the dominant mainstream of thought and mindset into the gender competent standpoint, knowledge and mindset;
- Ability of independent and critical reconsideration of all legal and multidisciplinary issues and concepts of legal knowledge from gender equality perspective;
- Ability for multi-disciplinary gender competent approach to law (its creation, interpretation and implementation) and policies regarding national and international context, i.e. international community, European Union, and particular countries including Serbia;
- Ability for understanding the importance of gender mainstreaming in the context of global economic, political and legal trends and processes;
- Ability to apply theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to continue monitoring of gender mainstreaming in legal knowledge and in the legal development of the international, EU and national legislation and strategic documents and the application of their results in practice.
- Ability to solve practical problems and further improve the performance of tasks in the process of gender mainstreaming of all relevant legal professions (judges, prosecutors, lawyers), public policies, public and private sector, international and national institutions and authorities, business corporations, family law issues, labor law issues, etc.
- Mastering the communication skills necessary for achieving different forms of cooperation in favor of promoting gender equality with members of the profession, and service activities of various professions (individuals and institutions) from home and abroad, at a high professional level with respect to the strict demands of the profession, linguistics and ethical requirements.
- Acquiring an ability to understand the issues related to gender mainstreaming of all fields of legal and multidisciplinary knowledge in an objective manner, scholarly and with an unbiased approach, while avoiding any kind of apology or ideology;
- Achieving ability to constantly innovate knowledge and creative potential, considering that the program Law and Gender is envisioned in a way that allows students to be acquainted with responsibilities of a professional facing a very dynamic fast-track gender equality oriented legal, economic and political system and the need to solve numerous issues for which there are no instant solutions.
- Gaining the knowledge and skills that can explore a wide range of tasks, further professional and scientific training, progression towards the specialist and doctoral studies of any field of law and social sciences in the country and abroad.
