Guest Speaker in USF Women and Politics class -- Tanja Tomic

This week in my Women and Politics course at USF (in St. Petersburg, Florida) we considered why women are underrepresented in American politics -- and why so many other countries outperform the US in terms of the number of women in elective office.  One of the structural factors we considered was whether there were gender quotas. (Half of the countries in the world today have some form of an electoral gender quota.)

We were so fortunate to have join us live from Skopje, North Macedonia TANJA TOMIC

Ms. Tomic is a gender expert with experience working on gender issues over 15 years. She has held elective office at the local and national level, as member of municipal Council, member of City council, member of Parliament.  She has also served as trainer on different projects, such as Political Academy and School on gender activism and different IRI, NDI and ODIHR workshops. 

 

She has a wealth of experience and knowledge about women and politics in North Macedonia and beyond.  As we were considering women in politics from a comparative perspective, it was so helpful to have a former parliamentarian and party leader to explain how things like the gender quotas work in practice.

First, she explained the structure of the government in North Macedonia. 

You can learn more about North Macedonia by checking the CIA's World Factbook:

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/north-macedonia/

And then she talked about the development of women's organizations that led to reforms such as the introduction of gender quotas. And explained how these quotas work in the Macedonian parliamentary system.  

While the quotas have increased the number of women in politics in Macedonia (currently MK ranks 29 and the USA ranks 67, in terms of % of women in the lower house of the national legislature), Ms. Tomic reflected on the challenges faced by women in politics - and issues that still need to be addressed as it relates to women's empowerment.

For global rankings of women in national legislatures that is updated monthly, see this site compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union:

 https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking?month=1&year=2021

 

Women elected officials still have to strive to be taken seriously and often are harassed on social media.

Here is a children's textbook portrayal of different careers, with women and men depicted in traditional gender roles.

International Human Rights Day - Guest Lecture - International Balkan University in Skopje

It was a pleasure participating in International Balkan University's International Human Rights Day program as a guest lecturer. 

Thanks so much again to fellow Fulbrighter Ass.t Prof. Dr. Natalija Shikova for the invitation

For more about International Balkan University in Skopje, see https://www.ibu.edu.mk/
 

 

 

 

 

Special Delivery: Hard Copy of the Article in the Годишник на Правен факултет Јустинијан Први (Journal of the Faculty of Law Iustinuanus Primus UKIM): "Presidential Correspondence During the Clinton Administration"

What a treat to open my mail and receive a package from North Macedonia -- by way of Scotland --

a hard copy of the journal

Годишник на Правен факултет Јустинијан Први  

(Journal of the Faculty of Law Iustinuanus Primus UKIM) 

that includes my article

"Presidential Correspondence during the Clinton Administration: Staying in Touch with the American People"

Thank you so much, Professor Karolina Ristova-Aasterud, for sending this!

 

International Human Rights Day -- Guest Lecture -- International Balkan University -- "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Jurisprudence of Equality"

I am looking forward to joining the Faculty of Law at International Balkan University for International Human Rights Day. Thanks so much Professor Natalija Shikova for the invitation!

 

 

JUSTICIA: International Journal of Legal Sciences -- reviewer

Delighted to serve as a reviewer for the University of Tetova's law journal

JUSTICIA: International Journal of Legal Sciences

Thank you to my colleagues in the Law Faculty, especially Professor Jusuf Zejneli , for the continued cooperation 

 For more information about  JUSTICIA 

 

 

Pre-Departure Orientation -- for Outbound Fulbrighters

This week I was privileged to be a presenter/facilitator at the US Department of State's Pre-Departure Orientation for outbound Fulbrighters -- for the North Macedonia Country Session.

Prior to leaving for Moldova and more recently before leaving for North Macedonia -- the most valuable part of my preparation for my Fulbright Scholar awards was the Country Session at the PDO -- during which you have the chance to learn from those who are recently returned from the country where you are going.  It really is a pleasure to do whatever I can to ensure that the future Fulbrighters have an easy transition to their work in North Macedonia.

This year, our session was virtual -- and organized via a zoom meeting.  I loved meeting the 2020-21 group of  Fulbrighters as well as to see those from the 2019-20 cohort.   We missed out on the informal opportunities outside the country session we had to socialize and answer individual questions over lunch breaks or coffee breaks.  Still, we are available by email/text/phone/facebook - and are ready to answer any additional questions - outside this Country Session.

Some of my "show-and-tell" Macedonia tour books

One bonus of the zoom meeting format -- we were able to hear from Gazmend from the US Embassy in Skopje! There really is no better resource

USF St. Petersburg Constitution Day - Presidential Pardons -- with SEEU Law Professor Shasivari -- on SEEU facebook page

SEEU featured our USF St. Petersburg Constitution Day Event with Prof. Shasivari -- Presidential Pardons -- on its facebook page.

Here is the text, and the accompanying pictures:

 https://www.facebook.com/seeu.edu.mk/posts/2677290602506978

 

Profesori Shasivari me ligjëratë kushtetuese para studentëve të Universitetit South Florida st. Petersburg (SHBA)

Për të shënuar 17-të shtatorin si datë e përvjetorit të Kushtetutës së SHBA-ve, në kuadër të bashkëpunimit të përbashkët: “Constitution Day 2020-Presidential Pardons/Dita e Kushtetutës 2020-Faljet Presidenciale”, midis Universitetit South Florida st. Petersburg (SHBA) dhe UEJL-së-Fakulteti i Drejtësisë, profesori Jeton Shasivari realizoi ligjëratën kushtetuese online me temën: “Fuqia për të falur e Kryetarit të Maqedonisë së Veriut si një e drejtë kushtetuese e (pa) kufizuar”, para 40-të studentëve të pranishëm nën moderimin e profesoreshës amerikane të së drejtës kushtetuese prof. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan.

Ligjërata e prof. Shasivari zgjoi interesim të lartë te studentët amerikanë përmes shumë pyetjeve që u shtruan, sepse trajtoi aspektet kushtetuese dhe ligjore të faljeve presidenciale në Maqedoni të Veriut, me fokus në jurisprudencën e Gjykatës Kushtetuese si dhe pasojat e mundshme ndërkombëtare juridike të faljeve presidenciale të v. 2016 para Gjykatës Evropiane për të drejtat e njeriut në Strasburg.

 

Професорот Шасивари со уставно предавање пред студентите на Универзитетот во Јужна Флорида ст. Петерсбург (САД)

За да се одбележи 17-ти септември како датум на годишнината на Уставот на САД, во рамките на заедничката соработка: “Constitution Day 2020-Presidential Pardons/Ден на Уставот 2020-Претседателски помилувања“, помеѓу Универзитетот во Јужна Флорида ст. Петерсбург (САД) и УЈИЕ-Правен факултет, професорот Јетон Шасивари одржа онлајн-уставно предавање на тема “Моќта за помилување на Претседателот на Северна Македонија како (не) ограничено уставно право“, пред 40 присутни студенти под модерација на американската професорка по уставно право, проф. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan.

Предавањето на проф. Шасивари предизвика голем интерес кај американските студенти преку многуте прашања што беа поставени затоа што тој се осврна на уставните и законските аспекти на претседателските помилувања во Северна Македонија, со фокус врз јуриспруденцијата на Уставниот суд како и можните меѓународни правни последици од претседателските помилувања од 2016 година пред Европскиот суд за човекови права во Стразбур.

 

Professor Shasivari with constitutional lecture in front of the students of University of South Florida st. Petersburg (USA)

To mark September 17 as the anniversary date of the U.S. Constitution, in the framework of the joint collaboration: "Constitution Day 2020-Presidential Pardons", between the University of South Florida st. Petersburg (USA) and SEEU-Faculty of Law, professor Jeton Shasivari delivered an online constitutional lecture on: "The Pardon Power of the President of North Macedonia as an (Un) Restricted Constitutional Right", before the 40 students present under the moderation of American constitutional law professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan.

Lecture by prof. Shasivari aroused great interest among American students through the many questions that were asked because he addressed the constitutional and legal aspects of presidential pardons in North Macedonia, with a focus on the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court as well as the possible international legal consequences of presidential pardons of 2016 before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.