Marija Savovska

Marija Savovska has over 30 years of experience in the civil society sector, with a deep personal and professional commitment to advancing gender equality, empowering women, and advocating for policy reforms.

From 1996 to 2004, she served as a Grant Officer and Program Coordinator for the Women’s Program and the East/East – Cross Borders Partnership Program at the Open Society Institute – Macedonia Foundation. Since 2005, she has been serving as the Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Gender Equality, Akcija Zdruzhenska Skopje, one of the leading advocacy organizations in North Macedonia. Under her leadership, the organization has played a pivotal role in shaping legal and policy frameworks on gender equality and the protection of women’s rights at both the national and local levels, while also empowering local women’s activists and communities to self-organize and hold local governments accountable.

Savovska has extensive experience in developing, managing, and implementing training and research-based advocacy programs focused on gender equality and women’s human rights. She has collaborated with government institutions and numerous international agencies as a trainer and gender specialist. In addition, she has authored and co-authored several studies and publications on topics such as gender mainstreaming, women’s political empowerment, domestic violence, and gender-responsive budgeting.