INTERSECTIONALITY AND GENDER: THE CASE OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

The increasing complexity of contemporary discrimination
demonstrates the limitations of traditional single-ground approaches to
equality law in addressing the lived experiences of individuals exposed
to multiple and mutually reinforcing forms of disadvantage. This paper
examines intersectionality not only as a theoretical framework for
understanding multiple discrimination, but also as a potential
governance approach for transforming equality legislation, institutional
practice, and access to justice. Using North Macedonia as a case study,
the research adopts a doctrinal and comparative legal methodology,
examining relevant developments in international human rights law,
European Union equality law, and the national anti-discrimination
framework, with particular emphasis on the role and practice of the
Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination
(CPPD) as the national equality body. The findings indicate that, despite
significant developments in equality legislation over the past two
decades, legal and institutional responses to discrimination remain
predominantly structured around individual protected characteristics,
limiting their capacity to address intersecting and structural forms of
disadvantage. The analysis further suggests that a more systematic
integration of intersectionality into the interpretation and
implementation of equality law could strengthen institutional responses
and improve access to justice for individuals experiencing multiple
discrimination. The paper concludes that embedding intersectional
approaches within legislation, institutional decision-making, and the
work of the CPPD is essential for moving beyond fragmented protection
towards a more comprehensive and effective framework for substantive
equality in North Macedonia