“Gender equality in decision-making processes and in leadership positions must not be an imperative that comes from outside, but a reflection of the state’s maturity and a measure of a true emancipation of society” is the conclusion of the conference “Decision-making power without gender balance” organized by the Civic Alliance.
Jakov Milatović, the President of Montenegro, and Milan Radović, the Program Director of Civic Alliance, opened the conference. In their introductory speeches, they highlighted the importance of gender balance as a fundamental principle of modern democratic societies and the grounds for efficient, responsible, and inclusive management of public resources.
Jakov Milatović, the President of Montenegro, emphasized his willingness to be a partner in all initiatives that will make Montenegro more equal. He also stated that gender balance is not a matter of political correctness, but of political responsibility.
“Institutions cannot serve everyone if they do not represent everyone. If they do not include all layers of society, they break the connection with reality, and it is time to clearly say that there is no representativeness without gender equality,” he said.
The program director of Civic Alliance, Milan Radović, emphasized that diversity in management structures brings better results, greater transparency and more responsible management of institutions.
“When women have their place in the decision-making process, decisions better reflect the needs of the entire society. Ignoring this potential is not only a social omission, but also a significant economic loss”, concluded Radović.
In the introductory part of the conference, Danijela Darmanović, Communications Coordinator in Civic Alliance, presented an analysis of “Decision-making power without gender balance: Where are the women in the boards of state-owned enterprises?”.
The analysis, which included ten largest state-owned enterprises in Montenegro, indicated a serious deficit of gender representation in their management structures. Five out of ten analyzed companies do not have a single woman on the board of directors, and only two companies meet the 40% quota prescribed by the European Union Directive. Also, only one company has a woman in the position of chairperson.
The analysis also indicates that, if Montenegro does not improve the current practice, it will not meet the European standards provided by Directive (EU) 2022/2381 by the deadline, in June 2026.
It was also observed that there is a lack of a functional monitoring mechanism of the implementation of the law on gender equality, while the absence of a special law on the selection and responsibility of members of the board of directors leaves room for political impacts and the absence of clear professional criteria.
In this context, the announced amendments to the Law on Companies, which would introduce binding gender representation goals, represent an important step towards harmonization with the European legal framework and strengthening of the good governance principles.
Non-transparency of state-owned enterprises in accessing data, including the unavailability of statutes and biographies of board members, was particularly emphasized, because it makes adequate public and institutional control impossible.
After the presentation of the analysis, a panel took place, with the participation of Predrag Zenović, the Chief Negotiator of Montenegro with the European Union; Boris Mugoša, Member of Parliament and member of the Committee for Gender Equality; and Sanja Mrkić, Head of the Women on Boards Program at the Central Bank of Montenegro.
Answering the question whether the current situation or the almost complete exclusion of women from decision-making structures slows down the European path of Montenegro, Predrag Zenović said:
“The greatest resources in this country are in the hands of men. Gender balance in political life has been absent, and the visible disparity is an obstacle on the road to the EU. Greater inclusion of women would be a strong and positive signal”, he added, especially emphasizing that anyone who has any reservations when it comes to the fight for equality does not belong to this stage of political emancipation, which is necessary for Montenegro.
He added that gender equality is not only about correcting discrimination and gender injustice towards women, but the road to a better and more inclusive society, and he expressed concern over the fact that the issue of gender equality in Montenegro is most often discussed from the position of men.
In reviewing the steps that must be taken for Montenegro to reach the quota set by EU Directive 2022/2381 by June 2026, Zenović said:
“Article 5 of Directive (EU) 2022/2381 on the promotion of gender equality stipulates, among other matters, that members of the underrepresented gender occupy at least 40% of the positions of non-executive directors, i.e. at least 33% of all directorships, including executive and non-executive directors. Therefore, to achieve a certain balance in the management structures, it is necessary to turn this Directive into law”.
MP Boris Mugoša, speaking from the perspective of the legislative authority and the competent parliamentary committee, emphasized that the issue of gender equality is a question of civilization and that everyone should have equal opportunities and possibilities.
“Each law has a different impact on men and women and this must be recognized in such a way as to get to the essence of the law when talking about it. We do not need European laws to force us to apply the basic principles of civilization”, Mugoša emphasized.
Referring to the statistics presented in the analysis of Civic Alliance, he said that such findings depict the real situation and additionally demotivate women to engage in politics, i.e., jobs related to politics.
Regarding the legislative framework that regulates the issue of gender equality in Montenegro, Mugoša stated that there are good laws, but that their interpretation and application are problematic.
Sanja Mrkić, Head of the Women on Boards Program in the Central Bank of Montenegro, referred to the importance of institutional policies and good practices in the institution she represents, and drew a parallel between the private and public sectors in terms of gender equality.
“The private sector is characterized by a higher number of women in management positions, with better opportunities for their career advancement. However, we still live in a society that is burdened by stereotypes, where professions are divided into ‘male’ and ‘female’. So, good practices from the private sector must begin to be applied in the public sector as well, because they have proven to be effective and useful”, she pointed out.
Speaking about the Women on Board program, Mrkić emphasized that their main goal is to empower and make future leaders more visible, and that the greatest advantage of this initiative is its implementation with the broad cooperation of the business community and the public sector, as well as President Milatović himself, and many political parties.
This event is organized with the support of the regional SMART Balkans project – Civil society for a connected Western Balkans, which is implemented by the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD), the Center for Research and Policy Creation (CRPM) and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), and is financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.
