EMPOWERED WOMEN
INTERVIEW
MILICA LUNDIN, PRESIDENT OF THE IWC BELGRADE
Timing Is The Biggest
CHALLENGE
From 2018 Milica Lundin has successfully headed the International Women’s Club of Belgrade from strength to strength. IWC is a club that gathers women of foreign nationality living in Belgrade. Mrs Lundin is a Swedish musician and culture manager. Her husband is current Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia, H.E. Jan Lundin. Due to her husband’s diplomatic vocation, Milica has lived with her family in Sweden, Lithuania, Russia, Germany and Serbia.
particularly critical. It should be a matter of the individual’s What are the biggest challenges, in your opinion, for choice and life circumstances, but no doubt this critical female leaders today? time can be seen as an obstacle for her productivity by her - First of all, being the female director of a big enterprise colleagues and employers. Not everyone believes that a is probably much harder than being president of an Interwoman can be an ambitious employee and at the same time, national Women’s Club. To be honest, I see the challenges engage in her children’s early school age, for instance. Our in leadership as already given, regardless of gender. I have never been exposed to gender stereotypes myself, but that is because I was lucky to see some excellent diplomatic leaders in 30 I do not have so much experience in soyears of my diplomatic life called “male jobs”. I also presume that there are huge children do occupy our mind a lot. But I believe it is achievdifferences between being a female leader in Sweden and able by those fierce women who possess a strong ability Serbia. As I understand, in Sweden today, the number of for planning and a reliable support network. female diplomats is exceeding the number of male diplomats. There is still a huge discussion about the remaining How far have we yet to go until balance and equality salary differences between female and male employees become a part of the everyday work-life? and bosses. That, again, depends on the country. Some countries have In my opinion, the biggest challenge for a woman would very developed gender equality policies in work-life and be the timing: does a woman want to pursue advancing in beyond. For example, Iceland: You would be amazed by how her career simultaneously with the most intensive period independent women are and how many gender stereotypes of her children’s upbringing? That is if we can call any period 24
