Minister Purišić participates at regional conference „Advancing gender equality policies in Western Balkans and Turkey“

Budva, Montenegro (13 December 2016) -- Regional conference „Advancing gender equality policies in the Western Balkans and Turkey“ was held 12-13 December 2016 in Budva.

The conference is organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in a partnership with the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, the EU Delegation to Montenegro, and a support of numerous international and local partners.

At today's conference, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Kemal Purišić spoke at the topic „Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence“.

On this occasion, Minister Purišić pointed out that the equality between women and men is an inseparable part of the corpus of human rights, and therefore is a key element in the reform processes and means the advancement of women in all spheres of private and public life.

Minister Purišić reminded that Montenegro is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, OSCE and other organisations as well as a signatory of numerous international documents in the field of women's human rights, including the CoE Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. As such, it is obliged to implement the policies stipulated by this Convention and to pursue the policy in accordance with respect of generally accepted standards of gender equality policies.

UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Representative to Turkey Ingibjorg Gisladottir, General Rapporteur on violence against women, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Sahiba Gafarova, Regional Coordinator of the NGO Coalition against the violence against women „I sign“ Tanja Ignjatović, had introductory presentations at the conference as well.