On the occasion of International Women’s Day, a celebration Ladies First – Dobrila Award was held in the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade, during which the translation of the monograph “Dobrila” into English by Zoran Jeremić was presented, and the award of the same name established by the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia was announced with the desire to support and provide greater visibility to the continuous effort directed towards the development and change of the community and gender equality. The ceremony was attended by numerous representatives of international and domestic institutions and organisations, cultural and public life.

The award is named after Dobrila Vasiljević-Smiljanić, a woman who not only recognised the traditional tendency of the women from Zlatibor to make clothing and utility items from wool, but she also initiated, in 1963, the establishment of the handicraft workshop within the Agricultural Cooperative. Handicrafts created within this unique organisation, in which around 2.500 women from the Užice region, were involved until 1991, soon became recognisable on the domestic and foreign markets. During thirty years, these unique wool items were exhibited in all the republics of the former SFRY, then in Paris, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Moscow, Rome, at the fashion fair in Lyon and at the craft fair in Munich.

At the ceremony held in the Ethnographic Museum, Emanuele Giaufret, the Ambassador of the European Union in Serbia pointed out that the first laureate of this award, designed by the famous Serbian sculptor Marina Nićiforović, will be known in 2025, and that tonight, Dobrila Vasiljević Smiljanić will be honoured for her life’s work in the domain of the empowerment of women in rural areas of Zlatibor, which he presented to Dobrila’s grandchildren, Grigorije and Dunja Smiljanić.

“Dobrila recognised the emancipatory potential of a traditional female craft. She dedicated her career to the economic and social equality of women in rural area of Zlatibor region. She was a pioneer, a true champion of emancipation and we want to celebrate and continue to recognize the contemporary significance of her legacy”, said Giaufret and emphasised that her work embodies the very ethos of community building, solidarity, inclusivity and gender equality that we, as the European Union, champion.

“This is the story of Dobrila Smiljanić, the woman responsible for the whole world hearing about the small Serbian village of Sirogojno in the Zlatibor region, the magnificent fashion creations created by the skilful hands of the village knitters”, said Maja Gojković, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and President of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality: “This ceremony, held in the museum that preserves our rich ethnographic heritage, is just a small return of the debt to the heroine who left an indelible mark in the preservation of cultural heritage and the nurturing of old crafts and gave an immeasurable contribution to the economic empowerment of women and the realisation of the principle of gender equality, ensuring that each knitter gets a national pension”, added Gojković.

The director of the Open Air Museum “Old Village Sirogojno”  Svetlana Ćaldović said that Dobrila Smiljanić and her knitters, as well as Sirogojno, entered the history of the Serbian nation and state. “How to describe a visionary, an enthusiast, an educator, a creator, an artist, a wife, a mother, a friend and, above all, a woman? Dobrila is a lady of style, with a big and brave heart, full of understanding and nobility”, emphasised Ćaldović.

“It is an honour for us that we can in some way host such a big celebration and send a message about how we want to respect and nurture the cultural heritage of Serbia”, said Marko Krstić, director of the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade. 

The theme and message of this year’s International Women’s Day are Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress and Inspire Inclusion. Promotion of the rights of women and girls in all aspects of life can only be achieved if we invest in women and inspire others to understand and value the inclusion of women and girls. Promoting and preserving gender equality creates just, peaceful and inclusive societies, ensure prosperous and just economies and a healthy plant for future generations, which is highlighted in the EEAS Agenda for Diversity and Inclusion 2023-2025.