Within the framework of the RYDE project, the NGO Info-center, through the Fund for Active Achievements for Regional Informal Groups, supported the informal group of young researchers from North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, called Diversity Youth.
With the idea of contributing to the advancement of the rights of young people from single families, researchers from Diversity Youth prepared a Comparative Analysis of Compliance of Existing Youth Policies with the Needs of Young People from Single Parents and One-Parent Families in N. Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The research uses a comparative approach to assess the legislative frameworks and policies for single and single-parent families in the three countries, by collecting data from primary sources, legal documents such as family laws, social protection regulations, youth policies, strategies, etc.
The report includes an analysis for each country individually, as well as a comparative analysis of the similarities and differences between the situations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia.
North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina each demonstrate unique strengths and areas for improvement in their legislation and youth policies concerning single parents and one-parent families.
North Macedonia stands out with its centralized and cohesive legislative framework, ensuring consistent definitions and benefits for single parents and one-parent families across the country. Its youth policies specifically address the needs of young people from these families, offering accessible pathways to education and welfare benefits. This centralized approach makes North Macedonia a model for streamlined and inclusive support, providing predictability and stability for single parents seeking social services.
Serbia also benefits from a centralized legislative system that ensures a uniform standard for single parents and one-parent families nationwide. Its youth policies, though broad, encompass social inclusion and educational support for all young people, indirectly supporting those from single-parent families. However, Serbia could strengthen its framework by incorporating targeted provisions specifically addressing the needs of young individuals from single parents and one-parent families, drawing inspiration from North Macedonia’s focused youth strategy.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, in contrast, faces challenges due to its decentralized governance structure, resulting in varied support levels across its entities. The differing definitions and policies in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Srpska, and Brčko District led to inconsistent access to resources for single parents. While Brčko District offers the most comprehensive support, this standard is not reflected nationwide. Recent entity-specific youth strategies aim to improve conditions for young people but lack specific provisions for single parents, limiting their effectiveness in addressing this demographic’s unique needs. A unified national framework could help bridge these gaps by standardizing family law and youth benefits across the country.
Overall, North Macedonia provides a model for integrated support, Serbia offers a stable legislative base with room for targeted enhancements, and Bosnia and Herzegovina demonstrates the potential for localized success despite its fragmented system. Each country can benefit from cross-learning: North Macedonia’s targeted youth policy could inspire Serbia, while Bosnia and Herzegovina could look to North Macedonia and Serbia’s centralized approaches for improving consistency. By adopting best practices from one another, all three countries could enhance their support for single-parent families and develop more inclusive, effective youth policies.
Read the full text of the Comparative Analysis of Compliance of Existing Youth Policies with the Needs of Young People from Single Parents and One-Parent Families in N. Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The text of the analysis is available in Macedonian and Serbian Language:
MK – Youth Policies for Single Parents and One-parent Families in the Western Balkans
SRB – Youth Policies for Single Parents and One-parent Families in the Western Balkans
The Active Achievement Fund is a sub-granting activity of the three-year regional project “Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe” (RYDE), funded by the European Union in the period 2023-2026 through EU Civil Society Facility and Media Programme in favour of the Western Balkans and Turkey for 2021-2023 (IPA III). The RYDE project is being implemented by the Center for Democracy Foundation from Serbia as a lead partner in cooperation with the partnering civil society organizations from the Western Balkans: Academy of European Integrations and Negotiations (Albania), Youth Act Center (Albania), Kosovar Stability Initiative (Kosovo*), Network of Progressive Initiatives (Bosnia and Herzegovina), NGO Info Center Foundation (North Macedonia) and Regional Academy for Democratic Development (Serbia).
