Biography

Biljana Kotevska is a socio-legal feminist researcher. She holds a PhD in Law from Queen’s University Belfast, awarded for her doctoral research ‘Equality and non-discrimination in the post-Yugoslav space: Intersectionality under law in Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia’. During her Max Weber Fellowship, she will expand on her PhD research and work on a book manuscript. Biljana also holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law (with distinction) from the University of Essex (UK), an MA in Democracy and Human Rights in South-East Europe from the University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the University of Bologna (Italy), and an LLB from the University ‘St. Cyril and Methodius’ (Macedonia).

Biljana has worked as a researcher, expert and consultant for IGOs (EU, CoE, OSCE) and NGOs on various human rights issues, including equality and non-discrimination, gender equality, ESCR, NHRIs, minority rights, and migration. She is the country expert on (North) Macedonia in the European Commission’s Network of Legal Experts in Gender Equality and Non-discrimination and in its predecessor network since 2011. Biljana has used her academic research and knowledge to support important policy processes in North Macedonia, including the drafting of the Gender Equality Law (2020), the National Action Plan for the Protection, Promotion, and Fulfilment of Human Rights of Roma Women and Girls 2022-2024 (2021), and the legislative amendments of the Law and the Rulebook of the Parliament (2021).

Fields of expertise

• Southeastern Europe