Popović: Women from rural areas are often the pillars of the family, but they are also often invisible in decision-making processes

Women from rural areas are often the pillars of the family, bearers of tradition, but also key players in the local economy, especially in agriculture, said Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Zdenka Popović.

He points out, however, that they are often invisible in decision-making processes.

The 18th session of the "Women's Parliament" was held today in the Parliament. The session on the topic "Voice of Women in Rural Montenegro" was organized by the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality, in partnership with the Women's Club of the Parliament of Montenegro and the Rural Development Network of Montenegro, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Popović, in her introductory part, said that today's session is a platform for empowerment, a space for dialogue and the beginning of a process in which the needs, ideas and strength of women from rural areas will be translated into concrete policies and measures.

"As the Vice President of the Parliament and a member of the Women's Club, I support with particular enthusiasm the adoption of the Declaration of the First Women's Rural Parliament. This declaration must be a strong document that will shape the institutional response to the needs of rural women, from education and healthcare, to incentives for women's entrepreneurship and equal participation in political life," said Popović, as announced by the parliament.

Emphasizing that women from rural areas carry a huge burden every day - family, economic, cultural, and that their voices are rarely heard, member of the Gender Equality Committee Aleksandra Despotović pointed to some of the obstacles and stereotypes that predominantly prevent women from rural areas from being equally included in social flows. Despotović emphasized that a true understanding of the position of women in rural areas requires a broad view of the context - cultural, economic and social, as well as the fact that patriarchal patterns that define women primarily through the role of wife, mother and housewife are still present in villages and smaller communities.

Despotović emphasized that in order to achieve leadership positions, it is necessary to address inheritance issues, as well as that additional support programs, education, and incentives for entrepreneurship are needed.

"The voice of women from rural areas of Montenegro must no longer be silent, neglected or ignored. Their experiences, work, knowledge and wisdom represent an invaluable asset to our society. Empowering these women is not just a matter of justice - it is a matter of development, stability and progress for the entire country," she said.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Vladimir Joković said that it is crucial for the development of the country to hear the voice of women in rural Montenegro. He recalled the history of the development of rural communities in Montenegro, the importance they have had throughout history for the progress of society as a whole, and added that on this path, women have been the key bearers of all processes. Joković recalled the obligation of all relevant departments to make a full contribution to the improvement of agriculture and rural areas, noting that support for women is not just an addition, but the foundation of sustainable development.

"We are here to provide selfless support. Great respect for all of you, for everything you have done and are doing for Montenegro. Your voice must be heard," he said.

Stressing that today's session is a "powerful and symbolic moment of change", a recognition that rural communities deserve not only respect, but also full decision-making rights, Deputy Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia and Head of the FAO Office for Montenegro, Nabil Ganji, said that the organization he heads is fully committed to gender equality in this area, assessing that it is not just a matter of principle, but a matter of progress. Ganji recalled that the first Report on Empowering Women in Agriculture and Food has been completed, which, as he said, is not just a statistical report, but a reflection of reality, challenges and a testimony to the strength of women from rural areas.

He assessed that Montenegro has already taken commendable steps to include gender equality in its national policies and said that, through investment in knowledge, technical support and development capacities, our country will have the full support of the organization it heads.

The President of the Rural Development Network of Montenegro, Ratko Bataković, expressed his belief that the process of empowering women in rural communities will develop in a direction that would lead to sufficient and necessary empowerment and the exercise of women's rights, and emphasized that he was encouraged by the fact that in this domain there is understanding between the Parliament of Montenegro and the competent Committee, which indirectly ensures direct communication between rural women and decision-makers.

"This institution has its own strong organs and bodies, such as the Equality Committee and the Women's Club, which are an excellent mechanism for making the voices of all women, especially those from villages, clearly heard and pointing out all the possibilities of support and all the rights that belong to them. Therefore, recognize these mechanisms as your own and use the extended hand to the maximum extent possible," said Bataković.

The President of the Open Network for Agriculture and Rural Development "My Farmer" Miloš Vujisić assessed that today's session is a strong platform that indicates that rural women are not forgotten - but that they are the foundation of development, the guardian of resources and a visionary of change. Vujisić stated that the strength of such women is not measured by statistics, but by the survival of the village, and that survival increasingly depends on the knowledge, perseverance and initiative of women.

"Today I am not speaking just as a representative of an organization, but as someone who believes that solutions are created through connections – regionally, internationally and among women. Solutions in which rural women are not secondary factors, but key partners in development," said Vujusić.

After the introductory presentations, the participants of the Women's Parliament from rural areas asked 20 questions to the relevant ministries, to which they received answers.

After the session, a Declaration was adopted.

The session was attended by members of the Women's Club, MPs, representatives of rural communities, line ministries, representatives of the EU Delegation to Montenegro, representatives of the diplomatic corps, as well as representatives of domestic institutions and businesses.