I am Katarina Gačević (50) from Arilje. I have been an activist for 20 years and represent the Ružica Association, which focuses on the position of women in rural areas. We initiated and supported the establishment of the local association Ariljke. Through the program Rural Women Are the Strength of the Community, a group of women from Arilje visited Slovenia to learn about good practices for women in rural areas, including visits to rural households and the Slovenian Development Agency Solta. Our work on empowering rural women is supported by UN Women, and we collaborate with partners from southwestern Serbia on similar activities. We are also members of the Youth Hub of the Western Balkans and Turkey, addressing issues important to youth. Young people in Arilje face challenges incomprehensible to their peers in the EU and the region, especially those from rural areas who lack services or programs for them. I aim to re-establish the Youth Office in Arilje, which closed in 2012, providing young people with a space to address their issues. This initiative will include a media campaign to raise awareness about the importance of public space for youth activities and discussions with local community representatives and institutions. The initiative is crucial because the departure of young people makes local communities in Serbia unsustainable. Establishing a Youth Office would allow young people to develop capacities for better regional cooperation and create opportunities for systematic networking and learning from peers in the European Union.
