Gender parity as a cornerstone of democracy: Parliamentary seminar held in the Parliament of Montenegro

The Women’s Club of the Parliament of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, organised a parliamentary seminar titled “Gender Parity: Why it is Important and how to make it happen” in the main chamber of the Parliament of Montenegro.

The event brought together Members of Parliament, representatives of institutions, international organisations and civil society, and participants from across the region, with the aim of exchanging experiences and advancing gender equality policies in the political and electoral process.

The seminar was opened by the Vice-President of the Parliament of Montenegro and Co-Chair of the Women’s Club, Zdenka Popović, who highlighted the importance of gender parity as a key issue in contemporary democratic societies. She stressed that gender parity is not only about equality, but also about the overall quality of democracy, noting that without meaningful representation of both women and men, truly legitimate and inclusive institutions cannot exist. 

“Progress does not happen by itself. It requires a systematic approach, political will and the continuous engagement of all stakeholders — from the legislative and executive branches, to political parties, civil society and international partners,” she emphasised.

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Ambassador Jan Haukaas, noted that this year marks an important milestone for Montenegro, as it celebrates 20 years since the restoration of independence, alongside 20 years of partnership with the OSCE — the first international organisation the country joined as a full and equal participating State.

“Since 2006, Montenegro has made significant progress. Women are more visible in public life than they were a generation ago. Laws and strategies are in place, and commitment has been demonstrated. At the same time, parity ultimately means equal participation in decision-making, where further steps can continue to strengthen inclusiveness,” said Ambassador Haukaas.

He added that experience across the OSCE region shows that there is no single model for achieving gender parity. “Gender equality is not only a matter of fairness. It is essential for better governance, stronger institutions and more resilient democracies at all levels of society. We all benefit when the full range of talent in our societies is put to best use,” he concluded.

Copyright: OSCE

The Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Riccardo Serri, stressed that gender equality must remain at the heart of our democratic and economic future.

“By empowering women and ensuring their safety in public life, we unlock the full potential of our societies. The European Union remains committed to supporting Montenegro on this path,” said Serri.

The Head of ODIHR’s Democratisation Department, Konstantine Vardzelashvili, emphasised that gender parity is a fundamental element of democratic governance and that equality in political participation must not remain merely a declarative goal. He noted that current levels of women’s representation in parliaments, while reflecting progress, are still insufficient to speak of genuine equality.

“Gender parity is not a symbolic aspiration, but a call for concrete action — it is a new democratic standard and a measure of the quality of democracy,” Vardzelashvili stated.

He further underlined that achieving this goal requires systematic, well-designed measures, including comprehensive national analyses of barriers, the development of action plans, improvements to electoral legislation, and the strengthening of gender-sensitive institutional practices. He highlighted the key role of political parties as “gatekeepers” to political life, as well as the need to integrate gender parity into all stages of the electoral process. He concluded that gender parity is not an issue concerning women alone, but a fundamental democratic question, reaffirming ODIHR’s commitment to supporting states in translating international standards into tangible results.

The Chair of the Committee on Gender Equality, Jelenka Andrić, stated that this discussion once again confirms that gender equality is not an add-on to democracy, but a test of its quality. “Increasing the number of women in positions of power and decision-making is not important solely for reasons of fairness — it benefits society as a whole. Greater representation of women leads to better advocacy of their rights and interests, a stronger focus on education, healthcare, care for children and the elderly, the fight against violence, as well as other issues that shape the quality of life for every citizen,” Andrić said.

The seminar featured three panel discussions. The first panel, “Gender Parity in Politics and Elections – International Standards, Good Practices and ODIHR Findings”, focused on defining gender parity in line with international standards and its application in legislation, electoral management and political party practices.

The second panel, “Gender Parity in Politics and Elections – Regional Experiences”, provided an overview of experiences from countries in the region, highlighting examples that have yielded results in advancing equality, as well as challenges and limitations in contexts where progress has been more limited.

The third panel, “A Strategic Approach to Implementing Gender Parity in the National Context”, focused on identifying priority next steps to establish a coherent approach to gender equality, and setting out initial elements for systematically monitoring progress in this area.

Particular attention was given to the importance of implementing CEDAW General Recommendation No. 40, which defines gender parity as a right and sets a clear objective of achieving equal participation of women and men in decision-making. It was emphasised that progress in this area requires a systematic approach, including robust legal frameworks, gender-sensitive electoral and political processes, and greater accountability of political parties. Reference was also made to recent amendments to electoral legislation in Montenegro, which increased the quota for the underrepresented gender to 40% and introduced additional mechanisms to ensure more balanced representation on electoral lists.

It was concluded that gender parity is a key element of democratic development, contributing to greater public trust in institutions, higher-quality decision-making and more inclusive public policies. The need for continued cooperation between parliaments, political parties, electoral bodies, and international partners was also emphasised in order to further advance gender equality.

The seminar forms part of ODIHR’s extra-budgetary project “Enhancing Electoral Reform in the Western Balkans” (2025–2028), which supports beneficiaries in implementing electoral recommendations and aligning electoral frameworks and practices with OSCE commitments, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections. Building on two previous phases of the project (2017–2025), it provides targeted legal and technical assistance in key areas of the electoral process, including the legal framework, electoral administration, voter registration, campaigns and campaign finance, media, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups. The project complements ODIHR’s core election observation and recommendation follow-up activities through structured, continuous and in-depth engagement with institutions and civil society. It is funded by the European Union, with additional support from Norway and Greece.