Project: “Amplifying Voices: Research and Advocacy for LBTIQ+ Women’s Rights in Serbia”
Reporting period: 2025
Promoted by: Rainbow Ignite (Belgrade, Serbia) — Author: Jelena Vasiljević
CEDAW Shadow Report: LBTQI+ Women and Gender-Diverse Persons in Serbia – Report
This shadow report by Rainbow Ignite assesses Serbia’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) regarding LBTQI+ women and gender-diverse persons, following a CEDAW article-by-article structure (Articles 1, 2, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15). Drawing on legal analysis and a 2025 community survey (590 respondents), it documents systemic gaps: no legal recognition of same-sex partnerships, non-consensual surgeries on intersex infants, weak enforcement of hate crime and anti-discrimination laws, and compounded discrimination for Roma, rural, older, or disabled LBTQI+ women. It highlights findings such as 49% of LGBTIA and non-binary respondents having experienced family violence, and closes with concrete recommendations urging Serbia to recognize same-sex unions, ban harmful medical practices on intersex children, and strengthen protection and data collection on LBTQI+ populations to meet its CEDAW obligations.
