Starting from 1995, in the aftermath of  the Beijing Conference, when the states discussed the question of the necessity of gender mainstreaming at all levels of policy-making, the European Union starts to promote the issue of gender equality not only at the EU level but also as a part of its foreign policy. Women’s rights issues become an indispensable part of the accession process in its relations with candidate countries. The article looks at the question of incorporating gender aspects into the accession process in Serbia. Several problematic aspects are identified: protection of minority women (particularly, Roma), rights of most vulnerable women (single mothers, women with disabilities).