Economic security and independence of women are crucial for their integrity and protection from discrimination, said Marija Raičković, a candidate for councilor from the list "Dr. Vuk Kadić - Move Forward - For Podgorica and the Family".
"Movement Naprijed strongly supports the achievement of gender equality through concrete measures and policies. Although there are legal foundations that guarantee equality and non-discrimination, they are not sufficient to achieve real equality between the sexes. Active political and strategic measures are needed, as well as the strengthening of institutional mechanisms at all levels," says Raičković.
He says that one of their key goals is to create equal opportunities for women and men in creating and making decisions about local policies.
"We show this through the fact that on our list 'Dr Vuk Kadić - Move Forward - For Podgorica and his family' there are as many as 44 percent of women. However, the representation of women in leadership positions at the local level is not at a satisfactory level, and that is why in the coming period we will especially to work on creating conditions for greater participation of women in public life", Raičković points out.
She adds that changing social norms and stereotypes that limit women is still a big challenge. It is necessary, as she said, to continuously work on education and raising awareness "in order to promote gender equality and create support for changes in society".
She said that the list she is a part of will advocate for the economic empowerment of women through access to loans, special programs for education and training, entrepreneurship and the economy. At the local level, he says, they plan to establish a database of female entrepreneurs and work on identifying their needs, as well as the problems they face.
"Economic security and independence of women are crucial for their integrity and protection from discrimination. Independent women have a greater opportunity to decide on their lives and to protect themselves from any type of inequality or violence in social life," Raičković emphasizes.
She said that the list "Dr Vuk Kadić - Pokret Naprijed - Za Podgorica i familie" will continue to work hard to create better conditions for women, both economically and socially, even after the elections on September 29 in the local assembly. "That's the only way we can build a fair and equal society," she concludes.
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