The Gender Equality Index in Montenegro results were published by the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights which measures six domains: work, money, knowledge, time, power, and health.

“Unfortunately, we see that the highest gender inequality remains in the areas related to money and power. Even though there are more female than male university graduates, women are still concentrated in lower-paid jobs, and there is a significant underrepresentation of women in politics,” said Liselotte Isaksson – Deputy Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of European Union to Montenegro at the official conference.

The Index shows the highest gap in gender equality in the area of power, while the lowest gap in Montenegro compared to the average in the EU is in the area of health.

Carlien Scheele, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), praised Montenegro’s efforts in reducing gender inequality, highlighting the progress made thus far. “I am happy to see Montenegro’s progress, with a significant improvement of 4.3% in the Index,” she said, noting that the most significant advancement was in the area of power. Scheele emphasised that it would be beneficial to consider introducing quotas for women’s representation in business.

The Minister of Human and Minority Rights, Fatmir Đeka, stated that the freedom and emancipation of women and girls still represent challenges for Montenegro.