ROLE MODEL: Equality on paper, not in politics and the media

Although gender equality is formally recognized as an important social goal, data shows that it is still almost non-existent in political and media discourse. Only 1,2% of analyzed media content in the field of politics touches on the issue of gender equality, while women appear as experts in only 4% of cases, shows the final report created within the project "(Un)wanted in Public Space", implemented by the Association for Responsible and Sustainable Development (UZOR).

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the presence, role and perception of women in the political and media space in Montenegro. The research, UZOR announced, includes an analysis of 745 media articles and 560 political party posts on social networks, insights from focus groups with young women from all three regions, as well as in-depth interviews with female journalists in Montenegro.

"The findings clearly indicate the systemic and long-term invisibility of women in political discourse. Women are mentioned in less than a third of the analyzed texts, which confirms that their presence is not the standard, but the exception in political reporting. Similar patterns have been recognized in the communication of political parties - although women participate in 31 percent of posts on social networks, in less than half of those cases they are presented as active bearers of messages. This further reinforces the perception of politics as a space that primarily belongs to men," it was announced.

They point out that the findings of the focus groups are particularly concerning, showing that young women perceive politics as a space of high personal and professional "cost", marked by online violence, negative narratives and a lack of support. This environment, they add, leads to self-censorship and withdrawal from public engagement even before entering political life.

"The findings of the in-depth interviews further indicate that pressure and harassment are often not reported, because female journalists believe it is easier to remain silent than to enter into a long and uncertain process of protection. This report shows that the problem is not in the lack of interest or capacity of women, but in the structure of the public space that systematically excludes and discourages them. The report offers specific recommendations for the media, political parties and civil society organizations, with the aim of improving the visibility of women, strengthening their political agency and creating a safer and more inclusive public space," it was announced.