Seven non-governmental organizations, whose work focuses on gender equality, sent an open letter to Mandate Zdravko Krivokapić, asking him to withdraw Vesna Bratić's candidacy for Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.
On the initiative of the non-governmental organization ANIMA - Center for Women's and Peace Education, the letter was supported by the non-governmental organizations Montenegrin Women's Lobby, Center for Women's Rights, Center for Civic Education (CGO), Safe Women's House, Prima, and Strong Mama.
The NGO requests that "a woman who is sensitized in relation to gender equality and is fully aware of the legal obligations in this sense is proposed for the same position".
The open letter addressed to Krivokapić is transmitted in its entirety:
"After watching the video of the round table "Position of women in Montenegrin society" organized by the NGO "Ne damo Montenegro" moderated by Dr. Vesna Bratić, proposed on your list for the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, we got the opportunity to get acquainted with candidate Bratić's views on this important issue. As long-time activists and fighters for women's human rights, we are obliged to point out the reasons why we believe that the proposed candidate is an unacceptable and inadequate solution for the aforementioned departments, especially for education.
The candidate Bratić chooses to inform the public about her views on the position of women in Montenegro through a round table, even though, as far as we know, she has not done so in her successful academic career so far, and there were many opportunities for that because women in Montenegro are at the gender were and still are threatened and attacked - from domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence, through attacks on journalists, mothers' protests, insufficient political participation of women to systemic gender discrimination that is capillaryly intertwining Montenegrin society and its institutions.
The views she expressed in her brief opening statement are extremely problematic and deeply concern us. The statement that "women have a position that they choose for themselves" shows a high degree of ignorance and lack of awareness about the position of women in modern society and reduces the complex position of women conditioned by a multitude of social, political, racial, gender, cultural and class (to name just a few) factors to individual achievement and responsibility.
Her claim is malicious because it rests on the same logic as the claims of the previous government that the losers of the transition, who represent the majority of the impoverished and humiliated Montenegrin population, "didn't manage" during the economic transformation of society and that this is their loss and their responsibility. . This shows an extremely limited capacity for solidarity and care for the common good in a country where the candidate Bratić is supposed to lead one of the key ministries that unites science, education, culture and sports, and it is all the more dangerous and worse considering that there will be no Ministry in the new government for human rights.
In her introductory speech, she says that she is not a feminist. It is not disputed that the candidate for the position of minister is not a feminist, nor were the previous ones, although we hope that they will be in the future, but what is disputed is the complete misunderstanding of what feminism as a theory and social movement is, and that "luxury" the future minister or minister must not have yes there is. Namely, feminism is not about "special discounts and privileges" but about the fight for emancipation, equal human dignity and equality, and the eradication of all forms of gender-based violence. It was the efforts of those who did not hesitate to declare themselves as feminists that enabled the candidate Bratić to have the right to vote, property, protection from violence and access to education, the labor market and the participation of women in political life.
Finally, but no less important, we remind you that the use of gender-sensitive language is a legal obligation of all citizens of Montenegro, and that the laws should be respected by everyone, especially those who aspire to lead key ministries of the new government. The aforementioned lack of understanding of discrimination against women in language and the willingness to violate binding legal norms confirms the suspicion that the level of women's rights reached can be threatened by the personal convictions of holders of the highest public offices who do not have the capacity to understand women's rights as the basis of democratic change and the realization of the same rights for all.
For the above reasons, as an organization that has been dealing with gender equality for many years, we consider her candidacy for the leading position of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports unacceptable and ask you to withdraw this appointment, and to propose a woman who is sensitized in in relation to gender equality and fully aware of the legal obligations in that sense," states the open letter of seven NGO organizations
Bonus video:
