"Conservative Counter-Revolution – Case in Point: Reproductive Rights and Demographics" is a very important political and ideological topic in the region, and overall in Europe, as birth rates go down, people live longer and the labor and social welfare systems are either overstretched or curtailed.
This year’s Korčula School, organized by the CEE Network for Gender Issues and it’s partners, was seeking to explore progressive solutions, best practices and lessons learnt and ways to formulate comprehensive, progressive measures and incentives necessary to address the demographic situation but not at the expense of women’s, and men’s, right to choose and make decisions regarding their reproduction and their bodies. Gender equality and women’s rights are non-negotiable democratic tenets, which are seriously challenged in the region in contravention to the existing positive legislation on human rights and basic constitutional postulates in the respective states and international conventions and agreements, such as those of the United Nations, EU and Council of Europe.
All participants agreed that demographic strategy cannot existing without reproductive rights, especially a right to choose, and reproductive rights which are under constant attack have to be essential in every sphere of society.
The 2018 Korčula School was preceded by a joint discussion on 24 August 2018 organized by the Global Progressive Forum and the CEE Network for Gender Issues on “Making the EU enlargement process deliver for Western Balkan women”.
