Improve the legal framework in order to improve the position of women and children

The Government, the Women's Club of the Assembly and UNICEF will specify activities in order to amend and improve the legislative framework in the field of eliminating child and arranged marriages and to ensure the prevention and protection of women and children from violence, in accordance with Montenegro's international obligations.

This was announced during the meeting of Prime Minister Dritan Abazović with the co-presidents of the Women's Club Branka Bošnjak and Vesna Pavićević, the acting head of the UNICEF Representation for Montenegro Sabina Žunić and the coordinator of the children's rights monitoring program at UNICEF Nela Krnić.

The Government announced that Bošnjak listed the priorities of the Women's Club in future work, emphasizing the intention to form a national council for the fight against poverty and establish a tissue bank within the Clinical Center, an integral part of which will be a human milk bank.

Pavićević said that the protection of children and women are the priority of the Women's Club.

"In this sense, we need interdepartmental cooperation in order to successfully achieve our common goals," said Pavićević.

She announced that the Women's Club will continue to, in cooperation with UNICEF, contribute to changes in the legislative and strategic framework in order to improve the position of women and children and suppress child and arranged marriages.

Žunić stated that it is necessary to create a legal environment that will enable the state to end the practice of child marriage.

Krnić pointed out that UNICEF advocates raising the minimum age for marriage to 18, in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee for the Rights of the Child and the Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women of the UN, in all situations and without exception.

As she added, they are advocating the introduction of a clear definition of child marriage, so that everyone can understand it equally and use it as part of standard practice.

Abazović stated that everyone has the same mission and that children are the most precious resource of the state.

He informed the interlocutors of the Cabinet's plan to elevate the Council for the Rights of the Child to the level of the prime minister and the intention for the vice-presidents of that body to be co-presidents of the Women's Club of the Parliament of Montenegro.

"He expressed a clear willingness to support the formation of an independent body of experts in the field of children's rights, in cooperation with UNICEF, which will provide continuous expert support to the Council for the Rights of the Child," the statement said.