Normative framework for the development of entrepreneurship in Serbia from a gender perspective

Dokmanović, Mirjana (author), Maksimović, Marijana (author)

Despite efforts made by the Republic of Serbia to boost women’s entrepreneurship, gender gaps remain, including income discrepancies, access to resources and entrepreneurial knowledge, and the balancing of professional and private responsibilities. The aim of the article is to determine the extent to which national legislation is gender-responsive; namely, whether it addresses the unique challenges faced by women when starting and growing a business. Gender analysis is the primary method of this assessment, with findings showing the legislation still does not fully support women’s entrepreneurial activities. By being mainly gender-blind, in that it ignores gender differences concerning opportunities and resource allocation for women and men, the legislation does not contribute to developing a context that promotes women’s entrepreneurship. The mentioned goal would be achieved by introducing gender-transformative legislation that provides a clear definition of ‘women’s entrepreneurship’, ‘women-owned business’ and ‘women-led business’, engenders taxation and corporate regulation, and introduces measures which give support to women when launching and growing a business. Simultaneously, women entrepreneurs should be provided with the same maternity leave rights as those enjoyed by women who work for an employer.

• Language: English
• Keywords: gender analysis, maternity leave, women’s entrepreneurship, social protection, social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, women, Serbia
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 24.04.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 7-31
• Numbering: Letn. 63, št. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-183412
• UDC: 330.342.146:305(497.11)
• ISSN on article: 0040-3598
• DOI: 10.51936/tip.63.1.7
• COBISS.SI-ID: 276848643
• Publication date in RUL: 12.06.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja
• Shortened title: Teor. praksa
• Publisher: Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763652

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Normativni okvir za razvoj podjetništva v Srbiji z vidika spola

Abstract

Kljub prizadevanjem Republike Srbije za spodbujanje ženskega podjetništva ostajajo med spoloma razlike, vključno z razlikami v dohodkih, dostopnostjo do virov in podjetniškega znanja ter usklajevanjem poklicnih in zasebnih obveznosti. Namen članka je ugotoviti, v kolikšni meri nacionalna zakonodaja upošteva vidik spola, in sicer ali upošteva edinstvene izzive, s katerimi se ženske srečujejo pri ustanavljanju in razvoju podjetja. Glavna metoda te ocene je analiza spola, ugotovitve pa kažejo, da zakonodaja še vedno ne podpira v celoti podjetniških dejavnosti žensk. Omenjeni cilj bi dosegli z uvedbo zakonodaje, ki jasno opredeli spol (“žensko podjetništvo”, “podjetje v lasti žensk” in “podjetje, ki ga vodijo ženske”), upošteva obdavčitev in regulacijo podjetij ter uvaja ukrepe, ki podpirajo ženske pri ustanavljanju in razvoju podjetja.

• Keywords: analiza spola, porodniški dopust, žensko podjetništvo, socialna zaščita, socialno podjetništvo, podjetništvo, ženske, Srbija