Angelina Stanojoska and Julija Jurtoska

On September 5, 2024, the closing event for the project "Enhancing Digital Skills and Competencies of Women Inmates in the Republic of North Macedonia" took place at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Skopje. This project, funded by the U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia through the 2023 Alumni Engagement Fund, was led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Angelina Stanojoska (Fulbright Visiting Scholar) and M.A. Julija Jurtoska (Fulbright Student), with support from project team members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ice Ilievski and Dr. Kire Babanoski.

The project was implemented by the NGO Blue Firefly. At the event's opening, Mr. Aleksandar Pandov, Director of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, and Prof. Dr. Svetlana Veljanovska, Dean of the Faculty of Law, delivered welcome speeches.

In the first session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stanojoska and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ilievski presented the project's activities including training sessions and events and introduced the Digital Skills Training Manual for Inmates. Aleksandra Trajanovska, M.A., from the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, also spoke, highlighting the benefits of this training for women inmates and the need for continued support. An inmate who participated in the training joined online to share her experience.

The second part featured an open discussion on "Digital Rehabilitation in North Macedonia’s Penitentiary System," where university professors, field experts, prison staff, and NGOs discussed the positive impact of digital rehabilitation.