Raising awareness of gender equality among journalists the focus of an OSCE-supported workshop in Podgorica

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in partnership with the Department for Gender Equality within the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, organized gender equality awareness-raising training for journalists on 2 and 3 December 2019 in Podgorica.

One component of the National Strategy on Gender Equality identifies the need for the media to be part of the promotion of gender equality through tolerant, respectful, responsive, and competent, reporting on human rights with respect to diversity building social cohesion. This awareness amongst journalists includes that their reporting encompass messages explaining that equality between men and women means that rights, responsibilities and opportunities do not depend on what gender they were born.

Aleksandra Crvenica, the Mission’s Democratization Senior Programme Assistant said that the media play an important role in breaking obsolete attitudes and stereotypes. “Journalists influence and shape opinions. They are on the forefront of promoting societal change - in building a society that values equality and does not tolerate any kind of discrimination. Gender equality is a key democratic principle and promoting the equality is a personal contribution of each journalist to the societal growth and development,” said Crvenica.

Dragana Šćepanović from “Vijesti” daily newspaper, one of the 10 participants of the workshop, said that the training was a revelation and exposed her to a variety of topics related to gender equality. “From now on, I will interview more women to provide their insight into important topics. I will also initiate topics such as equal access to healthcare for vulnerable women, for example those with disabilities,” said Šćepanović.

This training was part of the Mission’s “Support of Further Promotion of Gender Equality” project.