Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Zdenka Popović - a member of the Democratic Party, a member of the Women's Leadership Network and co-president of the Women's Club of the Parliament - shows unquestioning loyalty to her party leaders and the leadership of the security sector, instead of affirming gender equality and democratic dialogue.
This is stated in a statement signed by directors and members of non-governmental organizations, activists, journalists...
61 of them expressed their protest over, as they said, the Democratic Party MP's attack on human rights defender Teo Gorjanc Prelević - "a woman who has persistently and indiscriminately advocated for the rule of law for years."
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"From someone who claims to have 'worked for years on empowering women to take on leadership roles - in politics, the economy and society' and who 'supports every initiative that opens up space for women to participate equally', we would expect him to warn his party colleagues and even condemn their passionate disqualification of an activist, exposed to orchestrated attacks in public space simply because of her public activities. We would expect him to criticize the notorious substitution of theses by mentioning the business of Tea Gorjanc Prelević's husband in this context, which is used as a silencing strategy, instead of formulating reasoned responses to legitimate questions and criticism, which would be the minimum standard of a culture of dialogue," the statement reads.
Instead, they remind us, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament publicly tells Tei Gorjanc Prelević that she is "quite transparently and pathetically playing the victim, who is allegedly being attacked by someone."
"She used the opportunity to show integrity and truly stand behind the principles she publicly advocates, in line with party positions, using the same mundane and inflammatory rhetoric, to unequivocally tell the victim of the attack not to trust her - an old tried-and-true tool of patriarchal violence that MP Popović is clearly not ready to give up. When women, who have reached the highest positions precisely thanks to the advocacy of human rights defenders to prescribe quotas for greater political participation of women by law, use their authority to attack them, they send the message that women's solidarity and the fight for gender equality are principles of 'lesser importance' - consumable goods that can be traded for the sake of daily politics and loyalty to the party," they add.
Such statements, they said, undermine women's trust in politics and public life and discourage them from influencing social change.
"Women in high positions have the opportunity, but also an additional obligation, to demonstrate through their actions how power can be used to build integrity, mutual respect and trust, rather than to discipline and belittle those who fight for all of us," the statement reads.
They say that, "regardless of this and similar disappointing practices," they will continue to advocate for greater participation of women in politics, in the belief that the next generation of female politicians will be true creators of narratives and public policies tailored to all citizens, "and not blind followers of their male colleagues even when they pursue wrong policies and unreasonably attack the civil sector for narrow party interests."
"We condemn all hate speech against women, even when it is directed at dissenting voices, and we expect the Gender Equality Committee and the Women's Club to abandon the bad practice of selectively defending only those women in power," they said:
1. Maja Raičević, Executive Director, Women's Rights Center
2. Ana Jaredić, Women's Rights Center
3. Zorica Konatar, Women's Rights Center
4. Teodora Balšić, Center for Women's Rights
5. Teodora Ciriviri, Center for Women's Rights
6. Tanja Markuš, Center for Women's Rights
7. Anita Stjepčević, Women's Rights Center
8. Daliborka Uljarević, Executive Director, Center for Civic Education
9. Sara Čabarkapa, Center for Civic Education
10. Ervina Dabižinović, Coordinator, Center for Women's and Peace Education ANIMA
11. Ljupka Kovačević, NGO Center for Women's and Peace Education ANIMA
12. Milena Popović Samardžić, Executive Director, Ipso Facto
13. Marijana Camović Velicković, Vice President, Media Union of Montenegro
14. Marina Vujačić, Executive Director, Association of Disabled Youth of Montenegro
15. Milka Tadić Mijović, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting of Montenegro
16. Zenepa Lika, Executive Director, Dr. Martin Schneider-Jacoby Association
17. Nikoleta Đukanović, Executive Director, Sociological Center of Montenegro SOCEN
18. Mila Radulović, President, Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro
19. Aida Perović, Executive Director, Prima
20. Olivera Nikolić, Executive Director, Media Institute of Montenegro
21. Ivana Vujović, Executive Director, Juventas
22. Jelena Čolaković, Juventus
23. Marija Jovanović, activist, Spektra Association
24. Danijela Nikić, Spectrum Association
25. Aleksandra Kraljević, Spectrum Association
26. Milva Milić, Spectrum Association
27. Iskra Đurišić, Spectrum Association
28. Nevenka Vuksanović, Executive Director, Center for Democracy and Human Rights
29. Sabina Talović, Executive Director, Bona fide
30. Slavica Striković, member of the Board of Directors, Women's Action
31. Mira Saveljić, Director, Women's Safe House
32. Ana Dedivanović, Executive Director, LBTQ Women's Association "Stana"
33. Staša Bistrica, Executive Director, Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Kvir Montenegro
34. Marija Backović, Executive Director, Prazan Prosot
35. Fana Delija, Executive Director, Center for Roma Initiatives
36. Kristina Mihailović, Executive Director, Parents Association
37. Zorana Marković, Executive Director, Center for the Development of Non-Governmental Organizations
38. Azra Vuković, Executive Director, Green Home
39. Jovanja Janjušević, Executive Director, Center for Bird Protection and Research
40. Nataša Nelević, Executive Director, Profemina
41. Velida Hodžić, Executive Director, Ikre Rožaje
42. Bojana Jokić, Executive Director, LGBT Forum Progres
43. Nataša Međedović, Executive Director, SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence – Nikšić
44. Sonja Dragović, KANA/who if not an architect?
45. Martina Markolović, Human Rights Action
46. Bojana Malović, Human Rights Action
47. Amra Bajrović, Human Rights Action
48. Elizabeta Mrnjačević, Human Rights Action
49. Ivana Živaljević, Human Rights Action
50. Dina Bajramspahić, civic activist
51. Jovana Marović, civic activist
52. Paula Petričević, activist
53. Ivana Čogurić Rašović, activist
54. Nađa Durković, professor of literature
55. Olivera Lakić, journalist
56. Milena Bešić, civic activist
57. Vesna Rajković Nenadić, journalist
58. Maja Boričić, journalist
59. Tamara Milaš, civic activist
60. Maša Elezović, women's rights activist
61. Varja Đukić, actress
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