Several women's non-governmental organizations rated yes The Ministry of Science, the capital city and Montenegro Airlines with the decision to support the Convention of Women of the Western Balkans - "She is here", "prove how little Montenegrin institutions are interested in the real needs and interests of women in Montenegro".
"The obvious connection with the project of the Institute for Public Policy, which was suspended by the European Commission, was ignored, because the director of this organization, Vladimir Beba Popović, continuously carried out a violent campaign against a civil society activist. Instead, the institutions of the system showed an unprecedented willingness to support a newly founded non-governmental organization in the realization of an elitist and unjustifiably expensive event. All this in a situation where the total budget intended for the implementation of activities related to gender equality, which the Government allocated to the Department for Gender Equality, amounts to 17.600 euros, when the state does not have money to provide basic services for women, to pay benefits for mothers and to systematically support the respect of women's human rights," the statement said.
The statement was signed by NGOs Anima from Kotor, Center for Women's Rights and Safe women's house from Podgorica, SOS Telephone and Center for Roma Initiatives from Nikšić, Bona fide from Pljevlja i A strong mom from Bijelo Polje.
They state that in addition to the activists of those NGOs, participation in the Convention "She is here" was also canceled by many others whose names are still in the program of the Convention.
NGOs request that the Government, the Ministry of Science, the Capital and the "over-indebted state-owned company" Montenegro Airlines inform the public about the following issues:
- What impact will the mentioned event have on improving the position of women in Montenegro?
- On the basis of which decision, competition, or open call for non-governmental organizations, they made the decision to spend the limited funds for improving the position of women on the mentioned project?
- How much money did each institution individually invest in the organization of the Convention, including logistical support?
- What is the total cost of this project, including the promotional campaign, the fees of the Convention participants and all persons involved in the project.
"This behavior of all relevant institutions, including those most called to defend women's human rights, represents a kind of corruption and denial of all efforts to establish a fair and transparent relationship between civil society and institutions, and especially denial of 20 years of consistent and continuous work of women's groups which still provide all those services that the state is obliged to finance, but does not do so due to an alleged lack of funds. Such an elitist group does not support women's activism and additionally destroys the hard-established trust and solidarity networks between women who work in the field and who suffer violence, renders meaningless, privatizes and discredits all efforts to recognize women in Montenegro as political subjects and exert a greater influence on development and establishment of gender equality", concludes the joint statement of seven NGOs.
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