Latest Blogs
A selection of blogs from across the Federation
Celebrating a decade of the Istanbul Convention: progress and challenges
As we mark the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention, this is an opportunity to reflect on the profound impact and continuing challenges associated with this groundbreaking treaty.
20 July 2018
Just off a highway in downtown Skopje, a middle-aged man stamps his feet before a door. He is here to pick up clean needles from a drop-in centre run by HOPS, an NGO that provides drug users and sex workers with clean needles, contraception, information and advice.
20 July 2018
Back in 2004, Zoran Jordanov decided that someone needed to take action to support Macedonia’s LGBTI community and open up access to sexual health services. He began to look into issues of HIV prevalence and the importance of prevention.
20 July 2018
When Mihaela (not her real name) was six years old, her father sent her onto the streets to scavenge for fo
01 December 2017
Tucked away behind a line of trees in the grounds of Skopje’s University Hospital, lies a modest concrete building. This is the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, where people newly diagnosed with HIV come to access treatment and support.
01 December 2017
“I remember when I was little, there was one very stigmatising ad on Macedonian TV about how to protect yourself from HIV,” recalls philosophy student Bojan. “It was really scary."
01 December 2017
Being young and gay in Macedonia is to live in fear of your safety. Like many Balkan countries, Macedonia is notoriously patriarchal and conservative, and homophobia is systemic.