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A woman in politics – a heroine or “the one who neglected her home, husband, and children for her career“?

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April 23, 2024

A woman in politics – a heroine or “the one who neglected her home, husband, and children for her career“?

Source: UNDP

Last year, we have worked with students of journalism and their assistant professor Jovana Davidović on combating sexist hate speech, sexism and misogyny. Our spectacular #NextGen gender equality advocates and young journalists Jovana Damjanović, Marija Pešić and Željka Zvicer, with support of Marija Blagojević from UNDP, held workshop on sexism and gender equality to the journalism students at Faculty of Political Sciences. As a follow up, students have further researched the topics and have written blog posts on various related aspects. We are proud to feature young voices promoting gender equality!

“It is interesting that Montenegro is known for a large number of women who left historical traces in the development of our country. I am proud that the women who grew up 'on the Montenegrin karst and land' are fearless, both in the past and today.”

This is how Marko Vulević, who was declared the best student of the Faculty of Political Sciences by the University of Montenegro, started the conversation on the topic of gender equality.

Men are still dominant in Montenegrin politics

The turning point for the participation of Montenegrin women in public life, i.e. politics, was recorded in 1946 – when they got the right to vote. Although progress has been made since then, there is still a large imbalance in representation and power between men and women in the political sphere.

Out of 81 seats in the highest legislative body, we currently have as few as 22 female MPs, which represents slightly more than 27 percent. The majority of the population is aware of this very devastating fact. Still, it seems that, unfortunately, they run away from it, "tucked away" in their patriarchal beliefs, which are based on underestimating the personal, as well as the professional capacities of girls, women, and later women. Why? Because they were taught from an early age that the man is the “head of the household”, that he makes all the important decisions for the family independently, and that the woman is the foundation of the home, that her role is to take care of the children and their upbringing, and that female children have minimal rights.

Read here the full article published by UNDP on 22 April 2024.

Author
Aleksandra Despotović
Focus areas
Partner
UNDP

Last year, we have worked with students of journalism and their assistant professor Jovana Davidović on combating sexist hate speech, sexism and misogyny. Our spectacular #NextGen gender equality advocates and young journalists Jovana Damjanović, Marija Pešić and Željka Zvicer, with support of Marija Blagojević from UNDP, held workshop on sexism and gender equality to the journalism students at Faculty of Political Sciences. As a follow up, students have further researched the topics and have written blog posts on various related aspects. We are proud to feature young voices promoting gender equality!

“It is interesting that Montenegro is known for a large number of women who left historical traces in the development of our country. I am proud that the women who grew up 'on the Montenegrin karst and land' are fearless, both in the past and today.”

This is how Marko Vulević, who was declared the best student of the Faculty of Political Sciences by the University of Montenegro, started the conversation on the topic of gender equality.

Men are still dominant in Montenegrin politics

The turning point for the participation of Montenegrin women in public life, i.e. politics, was recorded in 1946 – when they got the right to vote. Although progress has been made since then, there is still a large imbalance in representation and power between men and women in the political sphere.

Out of 81 seats in the highest legislative body, we currently have as few as 22 female MPs, which represents slightly more than 27 percent. The majority of the population is aware of this very devastating fact. Still, it seems that, unfortunately, they run away from it, "tucked away" in their patriarchal beliefs, which are based on underestimating the personal, as well as the professional capacities of girls, women, and later women. Why? Because they were taught from an early age that the man is the “head of the household”, that he makes all the important decisions for the family independently, and that the woman is the foundation of the home, that her role is to take care of the children and their upbringing, and that female children have minimal rights.

Read here the full article published by UNDP on 22 April 2024.

Author
Aleksandra Despotović
Focus areas
Partner
UNDP