Amendments to the Law on the Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament should enable affirmative action for the Roma population, so that they will have the opportunity to be part of the parliament and from that position lead a direct fight for their rights, said Minister of Human and Minority Rights Fatmir Đeka.
As reported by the Civil Alliance (GA), Đeka said this at the panel entitled "Montenegro is an endless field of discrimination", which the non-governmental organization (NGO) organized today.
The GA stated that the panel concluded that discrimination against members of the Roma population, as well as women, is a complex problem, caused by social prejudices, institutional injustice and economic inequalities.
Commenting on the existing legal solutions, Đeka said that they are working on a new umbrella law on the protection of equality and prohibition of discrimination, the law on the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro and the law on legal recognition of gender identity based on self-determination.
In addition to a good legal framework, as he pointed out, it is necessary to work on strengthening institutions in order to build citizens' trust.
Radinka Ćinćur, a member of the Special Club of Deputies, pointed to the fact that more than 50 percent of the Montenegrin population are women, of whom 60 percent have higher education, and 80 percent have completed master's studies.
She called on women to get involved in politics and not allow only men to be in leadership positions and decide on issues concerning their position.
Ćinćur said that they should be the most capable in decision-making positions, which, as she claims, is currently not the case in Montenegro.
The protector of human rights and freedoms, Siniša Bjeković, pointed out that women are the most vulnerable category, and that, just by appearing on the political scene and assuming office, they automatically become a target.
Commenting on the position of the Roma population in Montenegro, he pointed out the importance of acquiring civil status, without which it is impossible to talk about the realization of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
Bjeković stated that he believes that Romani men and women can be active participants in social life.
The program director of the Civic Alliance, Milan Radović, in his opening address, said that multiculturalism, as a fundamental determination of Montenegro based on the absence of discrimination, requires the commitment of all actors, because its construction is a continuous process that largely depends on the political environment and overcoming numerous challenges.
The Acting Head of the OSCE Mission in Montenegro, Giovani Gabasi, said that solving the problem of discrimination requires cooperation between government institutions, civil society and international partners.
GA stated that today's panel discussion formally marked the beginning of the second module of the School of Political Studies and the Academy for Women, which the NGO is organizing this weekend in Budva.
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