OSCE/ODIHR builds capacity of Montenegro’s parliament to conduct gender-sensitive analysis of legislation

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2017-11-01

Mainstreaming gender in the legislative process in Montenegro was the focus of a workshop for 32 members and secretaries of Montenegro’s parliamentary committees held in Podgorica on 30 and 31 October 2017. The event was organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro with expert support from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

“Strengthening the structures, procedures and culture of democratic institutions and legislative processes so that they serve all citizens regardless of their gender is one of ODIHR’s priorities,” said Lana Ackar, ODIHR Gender Officer. “National parliaments are the key institutions to promote gender equality and ensure that the legislative process is gender-sensitive.”

The participants, a group of 24 women and 8 men, learned how to effectively conduct analysis of legislation from a gender perspective, based on ODIHR’s tool for lawmakers Making Laws Work for Women and Men: A Practical Guide to Gender-Sensitive Legislation. Different approaches to institutionalizing gender-sensitive legislation were also discussed during the workshop.

“The Montenegrin parliament is a pioneer in Europe as one of the first parliaments that has developed an action plan for a gender-responsive parliament,” said Nada Drobnjak, Chair of the Gender Equality Committee.

“The OSCE Mission to Montenegro has been pleased to support the parliament in its gender mainstreaming efforts,” said Lia Magnaguagno, the Mission’s Democratization Programme Manager. “We trust that this workshop will be another step forward in this process.”

From 2015 to 2017, ODIHR and the OSCE Mission to Montenegro have provided advisory and technical support to the country’s parliament in order to develop a roadmap and an action plan for promoting gender equality and advancing the parliament’s institutional, legislative and operational culture from a gender perspective.

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

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