Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, 2015. Country/Territory North Macedonia Document type Legislation Date 2015 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject General Keyword Equity Governance Gender Social protection Public health Geographical area Europe, Europe and Central Asia, Landlocked Developing Nations, Southern Europe Entry into force notes This Law shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia. Abstract The Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men is a stand-alone, gender-specific legal instrument, adopted for the purpose of overcoming any unfavourable social status of women and men, resulting from a systematic discrimination or structural gender inequality resulting from historical and socio-cultural circumstances (Article 7(1)). It supports the use of special measures for the purpose of inter alia eliminating gender-based barriers, and achieving equality of treatment, participation, and social status (Article 7(2)). It provides a legal basis for the promotion of equal representation in all bodies and on all levels in the field of legislative, executive and judiciary authority. Furthermore, special measures may be used to strengthen participation in local government, and it also encourages the introduction of incentives or special advantages to women for the purpose of eliminating the circumstances that cause unequal distribution of social goods and resources (Article 7(3)). These could include natural resources such as land, although the law does not specify the meaning and scope of these social goods and resources. The bodies of the legislative, executive and judiciary authority, and the local self-government units, have the responsibility of adopting these measures through the preparation of a plan of implementation which requires the approval from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Full text English Website www.legislationline.org