The Gender Dimension of the EU Enlargement: Case Study of Macedonia as a Candidate Country

My paper will make an analytical overview of how the process of European integration is affecting the advancement of gender equality in Macedonia as a candidate country, thus also exemplifying the effectiveness of EU’s gender equality policies in the enlargement process. The focus is placed on two main levels of the issue. The first is the national level i.e. what are the key achievements and key problem areas of gender equality in Macedonia’s overall efforts for EU membership. The second is the EU level i.e. EU’ policies and projects regarding gender equality in Macedonia as a candidate country. The main criticism I will put forward is that gender equality is treated as a secondary issue in EU’s membership criteria, and in the overall enlargement process, which enables the political elites of candidate countries such as Macedonia to disregard, even deconstruct gender equality in a patriarchal direction, particularly in areas that are not within the scope of EU’s supranational competences.