Contributed by: Irena Milatovic and Vanja Mikulic, Montenegro National VAW Monitors

Newly appointed President of the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality Ljubica Dzakovic delivered a negative statement to the media on the need for the development of a gender-sensitive Montenegrin Constitution and gender equality issues. Her attitude provoked the attention of the public, in particular, women's non-governmental organisations. Immediately afterward, women's NGOs sent a letter of protest and organised a public gathering.

They called for the head of the Gender Equality Office of the Government of Montenegro to react against the statement of the President of the Committee and to use all her inflence to change the status of women in Montenegro and achieve demands directed toward the creators of the new Constitution. The open letter was also sent to the president of the Parliament of Montenegro, Ranko Krivokapic, in which he was asked to publicly declare statements of the president of the Committee.

Despite these reactions, the resignation of Ms. Dzakovic from the position of the mentioned Committee did not happen. Women's NGOs adhere to the attitude that the resignation of the President of the Committee is necessary, and they will continue gatherings and provoking the public on these issues. They also announced that they will call for help from international organisations to increase attention to the problem of non-respect for women's human rights in Montenegro.

It is important that Ms. Dzakovic is at the very beginning of her term as the president of the Committee.

Source: Women NGOs