Marija Risteska holds a PhD in political science; is co-chair of the working group for chapter 19 of the National convention for the EU integration. She is the founder and Executive Director of the leading Skopje based think tank Centre for Research and Policy Making – CRPM. Marija in the past 15 years worked as researcher, analyst, trainer, mentor and consultant on mainstreaming gender in policies and budgets. Currently Risteska is acting as Regional Director of the Gender Budget Watchdog Network of CSOs from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Moldova; and Policy coordinator for EBRD Western Balkans Women in Business Prorgam.