Categories Score

The full bar chart stands for 100%, and is filled by the country category score. The colour display uses the traffic light palette, with Green representing a score closer to 100% and Red a score closer to 0%.

ASYLUM

This category looks into laws that expressly include SOGISC as a qualification criteria for seeking asylum. We also take into account other legislation, policies, instruction or positive measures by state actors that are related to asylum addressing the needs and rights of LGBTI asylum seekers and refugees.

Intersex Bodily Integrity

The criteria under this category covers prohibition of any kind of surgical or medical intervention on an intersex minor before child is able to give informed consent. We additionally take into account if this prohibition is universal to all persons, establishes a monitoring mechanism and provides access to justice for victims and reparations.

Hate Crime & Hate Speech

We look into laws that include sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics in the hate crime and hate speech legislation as an aggravating factor. The category also takes into account the recurrent and continuing policies tackling hatred.

Equality & Non Discrimination

This category looks into effective anti-discrimination legislation that explicitly includes sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. We also take into consideration laws and policies banning conversion practices and allowing LGBTI people to donate blood. In addition to legislation, we look into effectively working equality bodies and well-implemented action plans.

Criteria Compliance Ratio

Each pie charts stands for a category and is divided in slices by criteria. When a country complies with a criteria – fully or in some regions – the slice is coloured.

Keep in mind the criteria have different weighting factor within a category; for example, the criteria Prohibition of medical intervention without informed consent (intersex) stands for half (2.5%) of the INTERSEX BODILY INTEGRITY category weighting factor (5%). Meaning that even if a country can only comply with this specific criteria within the category (1/4 total criteria) the category scores 50%.

More information on the categories and criteria weighting factors here.

Category & Criteria Table

The table lists detailed information and insights on legislation supporting each criterion status. Please use the filters for in-depth analysis.

n/a = not applicable, meaning the criteria didn’t exist in the previous Rainbow Map edition (PROGRESSION column)

Complies
Applicable in some regions only
Does not Comply

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RECOMMENDATIONS

In order to improve the legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in North Macedonia, ILGA-Europe recommend:

Introducing hate speech laws that explicitly cover all bias-motivated crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) and mechanisms for their effective application.
Adopting a fair, transparent legal framework for legal gender recognition, based on a process of self-determination and free from abusive requirements (such as sterilisation, GID/medical diagnosis, surgical/medical intervention, compulsory divorce or age restriction).
Ensuring state protection and the safety of LGBTI human rights defenders.

Annual Review of North Macedonia

In our Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of LGBTI People in Europe and Central Asia, we examine the advances made and provide concrete examples of on-the-ground situations at national level country-by-country in the 12 months from January to December 2024.

Read our Annual Review of North Macedonia below for more details and stories behind the Rainbow Map. You can also download the Annual Review chapter (.pdf) covering North Macedonia.

: In July, the Summer School, designed to foster friendships, support, and understanding between LGBTI youth and their straight/cisgender peers, faced intense backlash shortly after its call for participants was posted in early June. The backlash included hate speech, death threats, and calls for violence against the organisers and participants. Among those leading the backlash were Ljupco Ristevski, leader of the political party “Integra,” and Gordana Godzo, a public figure. In response, Ekvalis, the organisation behind the event, filed a criminal complaint against Ristevski, Godzo, and others for spreading racist and xenophobic material, as well as for endangering public security.
: In May, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) released an LGBTIQ survey revealing that despite minor improvements, significant issues persist regarding LGBTI rights in North Macedonia. Notably, the report highlighted that only 21% of LGBTI people in the country are open about their identity, while 39% of respondents reported experiences of discrimination in various areas of their lives.