{"id":9776,"date":"2026-03-10T14:34:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evropskakuca.rs\/?post_type=izvestaj&p=9776"},"modified":"2026-03-10T14:37:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:37:14","slug":"maja-simic-accepted-dobrila-award","status":"publish","type":"izvestaj","link":"https:\/\/evropskakuca.rs\/en\/izvestaj\/maja-simic-accepted-dobrila-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Maja Simi\u0107 accepted Dobrila Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the occasion of International Women\u2019s Day<\/span><\/span>, Dobrila Award was presented to this year\u2019s laureate, Maja Simi\u0107<\/a> from Belgrade.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDobrila Award holds a special meaning for me. It is a confirmation that my work has been recognized and valued, but also a strong encouragement for us to continue our fight, stronger, louder, and more determined,\u201d said Maja Simi\u0107<\/span><\/span>, this year\u2019s recipient of the Dobrila Award. She was honored for her dedicated work in the community as a pedagogical assistant and a representative of the younger generation of Roma activists<\/strong>, as well as for exemplifying an individual\u2019s unwavering belief in their role within the community.<\/p>\n

Simi\u0107 was presented with the Dobrila Award, a bronze sculpture titled \u201cKlupko\u201d<\/strong> created by renowned Serbian sculptor Marina Ni\u0107iforovi\u0107<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia<\/span><\/span>, Plamena Halacheva<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, noted that the gathering was inspired by the remarkable legacy of Dobrila Vasiljevi\u0107 Smiljani\u0107<\/span><\/span>, a pioneer of women\u2019s emancipation in western Serbia. She emphasized that although Dobrila is no longer with us, her legacy lives on and will continue to inspire efforts to break down barriers and strengthen the empowerment of women.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis award is a call to action. It reminds us that progress requires the commitment of the entire society<\/strong>,\u201d Hala\u010deva said, stressing that Maja\u2019s story is not only inspiring but also a reminder that a future in which every woman and girl in Serbia and beyond can freely pursue her dreams is possible, and that they will have the full support of the EU on that path.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many Roma women, the struggle for dignity and equality is deeply personal. Growing up in communities that often face poverty, discrimination, and exclusion, Roma women learn early on how difficult it can be for their voices to be heard. They fight not only against the prejudices of the outside world, but sometimes also against traditional expectations within their own communities. Yet many Roma women continue to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience, seeking education, supporting their families, and advocating for their rights. Their stories are stories of courage, of preserving identity and culture while striving for a future<\/strong> in which Roma girls will grow up with greater opportunities, respect, and freedom,\u201d Hala\u010deva emphasized.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The President of the Jury, Marija \u0110or\u0111evi\u0107<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, noted that the jury faced a difficult task, as Maja Simi\u0107<\/span><\/span>\u2019s nomination was selected from among 37 applications<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe impressive results of Maja Simi\u0107\u2019s work, achieved over the course of her adult life, send a clear message to society as a whole that the issue of emancipation is always contemporary and permanently relevant.<\/strong> Only if the ideas of equality, the right to education, equal working conditions, freedom of expression, and the willingness to take responsibility are nurtured from the earliest age can they help make the world, step by step a better place,\u201d the jury president emphasized.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The award is named after Dobrila Vasiljevi\u0107 Smiljani\u0107<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, a pioneer and advocate of women\u2019s emancipation who dedicated her professional life to advancing the economic and social equality of women in the rural areas of Zlatibor<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis award bears the name of Dobrila Vasiljevi\u0107 Smiljani\u0107<\/span><\/span>, a woman who showed us that no dream is unattainable when there is courage, vision, and perseverance. Her story reminds us that an idea may begin in a small community, but through hard work and dedication it can reach the global stage,\u201d said Maja Simi\u0107<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI come from the Roma community and carry with me the stories, strength, and burdens of the women who came before me<\/strong>, my mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers\u2014who often did not have the opportunity to complete even primary school. The fact that today I stand here as a university student, as a young woman who has the opportunity to speak, work, and create, represents a major step forward for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Maja Simi\u0107<\/strong><\/a> is the founder of the Roma Youth Organization of Serbia<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a> and an active member of the Roma Women\u2019s Network of Serbia<\/span><\/span>.<\/strong> A student, educator, mentor, and activist, she is a successor to generations of Roma women who have nurtured and preserved the struggle for gender emancipation, aware that every freedom won, even the smallest, must be protected and continually re-examined. These are women who understand that solidarity and mutual understanding are the essential foundations of any successful struggle.<\/p>\n

Her dedication reflects the importance and achievements of the tireless work of those who came before her, women who raised a new generation of modern heroines: women who are self-defined and outspoken, and who see caring for their community as a privilege, not merely an obligation.<\/p>\n

The decision was made by a jury composed of:<\/p>\n