A conference on "Gender Equality as a Part of Human Rights of the New Montenegrin Constitution" organised by the Gender Equality Office of the Government of Montenegro and UN Fund for the Development of Women (UNIFEM) was held on 2-3 November 2006 in Budva with experts from constitutional law and gender equality from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro.

The participants of the conference adopted the following conclusions: Representatives of political parties, civil society and representatives of the state administration bodies, participants at the conference "Gender Equality as a Part of Human Rights of the New Montenegrin Constitution," considering the global consensus and international documents provisions on human and minority rights and civil freedoms, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on Political Rights of Women, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Universal Declaration on Democracy, UN Millenium Declaration, European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, European Social Charter and Treaty of Amsterdam

Request that the new Montenegrin Constitution among general guarantees should assure the following:

• Equality of women and men,

• Primacy of international law,

• Non-discriminatory terminology,

• Prohibition of direct and indirect discrimination,

• Possibility of introduction of special measures and their non-discriminatory character, 

• Obligation of the state to manage the policy of equal opportunities,

• Direct implementation of international law and Constitution in human rights field,

• Maintainance of achieved rights.

Call for guarantee of equality between women and men in achievement of special rights, in particular:

• In the area of labour and employment, for example equal working conditions, equal pay for equal work and valuation of work at home,

• In the area of education, for example equal conditions and availability of all levels of education

• In the area of health and social protection, for example special protection of reproductive rights, special measures for pregnant women, mothers, old people, disabled persons and single parents,

• In the area of family and marriage, for example free decision of spouses to get married, equality during the marriage and divorce, equality in achievement of parental rights and in particular freedom of woman to decide upon the birth of a child.

Consider necessary guaranteeing the following rights in the area of political and public life:

• Equal opportunities for the participation of women and men in political and public life,

• Special measures for the representation of less represented sex in representative bodies, elected and appointed positions in legislative, executive and judiciary power,

• Equal participation of women and men in international cooperation.

Expect the Committee for Constitutional Issue to include in their work experts from the gender equality field because the right of all citizens is to participate in the process of the adoption of the constitution. 

Source:  Gender Equality Office of the Government of Montenegro