Women in Montenegro continue to face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, and gender-based violence is widespread and affects women in different spheres of life, according to a report by the European Commission (EC) for this year.
The part of the document relating to gender equality states that in Montenegro the legal and institutional framework for gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence is not complete, and that its implementation requires improvement.
"Women continue to suffer multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, and stigmatization is present in Montenegrin society, including against women belonging to minorities," the EC document states.
The EC reminded that Montenegro has not yet implemented the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The document also states that the framework for gender equality is limited by a lack of human and financial resources, which leads to weak policy impact and limited competence within the state administration.
"There is a general lack of awareness and commitment to gender equality issues in institutions, including gender mainstreaming in all policies," the Report says.
The EC emphasized in the Report that additional efforts are needed to collect gender-disaggregated data in all spheres of life, especially in the areas of domestic and gender-based violence, income and wages, health and social protection.
"Gender-based violence is widespread and affects women in different spheres of life," the Report emphasized.
The EC said that societal attitudes remain concerning, noting that a third of citizens believe that women make up claims of psychological violence to attract attention.
"The problem is also the lack of accountability of perpetrators," the EC emphasized in the report.
As they pointed out, only ten percent of convictions for violence result in prison sentences.
"Civil society organizations working on women's rights play a key role in providing support to victims of gender-based violence," the Report states.
The EC pointed out that the legal framework needs to be further aligned with the Istanbul Convention and the European Union (EU) Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence.
They recalled that amendments to the Criminal Code have achieved a more precise definition of misdemeanors and criminal offenses related to domestic or family violence.
The EC also noted that the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office has adopted standard operating procedures for the prosecution's actions in cases of sexual and gender-based violence, in accordance with the amended Criminal Code of Montenegro, the relevant provisions of the Istanbul Convention and the EU Directive on the Rights of Victims.
"These guidelines are already yielding positive results in improving the way the prosecution handles and qualifies cases of gender-based violence," the Report states.
On the other hand, as it is pointed out, sentences are still lenient in most cases of gender-based violence and are often imposed close to the legal minimum.
The Report also states that it is necessary to ensure adequate and sustainable funding for specialized services for women victims of violence.
"Systematic data collection and analysis among different institutions, as well as coordinated policy implementation, are also needed," the document says.
As it is added, it is also urgently necessary to act in the area of general preventive measures and training of professional workers.
"The country still lacks crisis centers and clear procedures for responding to cases of sexual violence, leaving survivors without adequate support," the report says.
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