The Dutch Ambassador was actively involved  in  the internal gatherings and workshops for awareness raising for Free and Fair Elections 2008 with the women in the rural area in Skopje surrounding organized by Women’s NGO “Derja” and Macedonian Women’s Lobby. In the  marginalized village of Kolicani, where the population is mostly Macedonian Muslims, the Ambassador was giving support to local women to practice their citizen rights and duty to vote. The tradition of family voting is rather high in this areas. After finishing the eight grade  of primary school, most of the women stay at home to work on the fields  and get married at a very young age. 

As women in this community would face difficulties to have an open doscussion on the challenges in their lifes, the meeting had to take place in a private house. The Ambassador has pointed to the local women that  to go out and vote is important not only for themselves, but is important for the futures of their sons and daughters . The right to vote is a legal right . Having voted for someone - like a member of parliament or the mayor - also gives you the right to make that person accountable for implementing election promises regarding improvements of water supply, schooling, health and social facilities etc. All those elementary facilities are lacking in the village today. At the end of this very positive and emotional gathering the Ambassador and local women have given promises to each other that they will continue with the awareness raising workshops and support in future.