Gender equality is not only an alignment with the policies of the European Union (EU), but also an opportunity for Montenegro to show leadership in the region, announced Maida Gorčević, Minister of European Affairs.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Montenegro announced that at the event "Gender Equality and Public Administration", Gorčević highlighted the importance of the process of transformation of institutions from the aspect of gender equality in the context of European integration.
"It is our responsibility to incorporate gender principles into all aspects of management, while at the same time building a future in which equality will be a reality for everyone," Gorčević pointed out.
UNDP announced that the message of this event is that gender equality represents a basic human right and an essential component of sustainable management, which is why it is necessary to continuously work to ensure that the process of creating policies in public administration is harmonized with gender-responsive standards, as well as to transform public administrations lay the foundations for more efficient management of resources and ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens, which leads to long-term changes with a concrete impact on the entire society.
The UNDP said that they organized the event with the aim of encouraging dialogue on gender-responsive policies and researching challenges and opportunities for the transformation of public administration, through the integration of a gender perspective in the creation of policies.
"At the event, it was emphasized that Montenegro's path to EU membership requires the systemic integration of gender equality as a central principle of democratic governance, and that public institutions have a key role in promoting inclusive development and must adopt gender-responsive approaches so that governance structures reflect the needs and rights of all ", the announcement reads.
The permanent representative of UNDP in Montenegro, Ekaterina Paniklova, said that the report on trends of UNDP for 2024 points out that the progress within the Sustainable Development Goal 5 related to gender equality is still seriously slowed down, without a single indicator that fully realized on a global level.
"At UNDP, we believe that gender equality is a basic human right and the foundation of sustainable development. Societies that accept gender equality have better governance, stronger economies and more inclusive development paths. Over the past few years, in partnership with the Government of Montenegro, we have supported the development gender-responsive policies, capacity building initiatives and institutional frameworks aligned with EU and global standards For us, achieving gender equality is not just a matter of formality, but of building a society in which everyone has the opportunity to progress and in which individuals - both women and men - can realize their full potential," Paniklova pointed out.
Liselote Isakson, deputy head of the cooperation sector in the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Montenegro, said that gender equality is one of the fundamental values of the EU, a requirement in the accession process, the foundation of efficient public administration and, dare I say it, the only way to ensure that public policies and budgets meet the needs of all citizens equally.
"The way forward means ensuring that the administration has gender-responsive practices, and that civil servants are ready to understand and apply them. We are in a moment that means opportunity, because the Ministry of Public Administration is working on an action plan for 2025-2026, and special attention should be committed to the inclusion of gender aspects in the planning and implementation of measures. but reality," said Isakson.
The Minister of Public Administration, Maraš Dukaj, identified challenges in the implementation of gender-responsive policies, referring to the importance of cooperation and support for the introduction of gender principles in all segments of the work of institutions.
"We are facing challenges such as insufficient capacities, stereotypes and a lack of tools for implementing gender equality policies. However, we are resolutely working on transformation. The pilot project with the Human Resources Administration for the introduction of an institutional standard for gender equality, according to the global UNDP methodology, marks a new beginning for our public administration," emphasized Dukaj.
Director of the Human Resources Administration, Agron Camaj, pointed out that change always starts with people.
"And we, as an institution that has a key responsibility in the management of human resources, have the opportunity to be the bearer of change. In this mission, we want to be an inspiration to other state administration bodies and join forces in order to build together the foundations of gender equality, but also equal and just society," he added.
Emphasizing the need for continuous education and monitoring of progress, the director of the Institute for Standardization, Zoran Glomazić, drew attention to the importance of international standards for the institutionalization of gender equality.
"Standardization enables the creation of clear and binding procedures that ensure that gender-responsible practices are not only declarative, but become part of the daily work of public administration," said Glomazić.
The Deputy General Secretary of the Government, Irena Vućić Popović, emphasized the importance of investing in human resources and institutions' capacities.
"There is no better investment than investing in human resources. When we build a network of competent experts for gender equality, we create sustainable foundations for future generations and ensure that gender equality is permanently incorporated into our management system," said Vućić Popović.
UNDP announced that the conclusions of the conference strengthened the call for greater inter-institutional cooperation, strengthening the capacities of public servants, as well as the implementation of gender-responsive standards in all sectors.
"The need for the development of mechanisms of responsibility and measurability of results was especially emphasized, in order to ensure that public policies really meet the needs of all citizens. The conference is part of the project 'United in gender equality', which is implemented in Montenegro by UNDP and financed by the European Union ", the announcement concludes.
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