OSCE Mission to Montenegro trains Municipal Gender Focal Point Network on how to enhance participation of women in public and political life
Measures to enhance the participation of women in public and political life were the main topic of a two-day training course organized for the Municipal Gender Focal Point Network on 9 and 10 October 2017 in Podgorica.
The event was organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Human and Minority Rights Ministry’s Gender Department and Montenegrin municipalities.
Fifteen participants learned about the Montenegrin legal framework in the area of gender equality, women and elections, mechanisms to enhance the position of women in political decision-making places and the role of media in this process.
OSCE Mission Democratization Programme Manager Lia Magnaguagno emphasized the role of all the participants in contributing to gender equality: "Today, we are here to discuss the importance of gender balance in public and political life - and the importance of addressing the representation of women in decision making cannot be underestimated."
Head of the Gender Department in the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, Biljana Pejović, said: “Although there are some improvements in the country, a lot remains to be done to reach international standards. Gender Focal Points are advocates in their municipalities, and their contribution is very important."
The training course is a continuation of the Mission’s work in promoting gender equality through the implementation of gender equality legislation, with a special focus on the municipal level and supporting the Network as an informal mechanism in this process.