Joint statement by women in the Government of Montenegro

We, the women in the Government of Montenegro, as well as the entire public, had the opportunity, not only these days, but also over a long period of time, to witness frequent attacks on Ministers Vesna Bratić and Jelena Borovinić Bojović, as well as other women in the Government. Minister Bratić is the most frequent target of attacks of various kinds, and since she took office, she has constantly carried the burden of absolutely unacceptable and shameful posts on social networks.

We do not want and must not be silent about such shameful events.

As women, we sympathize with our ministers and all the women attacked and we need to support them - any attack on women ministers or any woman in the government or the state is an attack on each of us. As citizens of Montenegro, we are sad that our society knows these forms of behaviour, and as members of the public administration, we feel a duty and obligation to fight against them and to put an end to them.

In this way, we draw the attention of the competent authorities to take the situation extremely seriously, because everything has crossed the boundaries of legally acceptable behavior a long time ago.

We believe that the attacks so far are in a cause-effect relationship with the moral collapse of society as a whole, in which women are not equal and respected, and attacks on them are becoming a daily occurrence. It is up to all of us to change such things in society.

We have not the slightest doubt that each of our ministers, women in the Government and every citizen of Montenegro, can withstand such attacks, but closing our eyes before misdeeds would be inadmissible, and we must respond. Only with solidarity and perseverance can we fight for a healthy society in which women are respected and equal.

By protecting each other, we protect the reputation of the Government, but also the right and freedom of every girl and woman to recognise public space as their own and to work unhindered, without fear of being a victim of aggression of any kind.

We expect that persons responsible for all past attacks will be prosecuted, because if such actions are not adequately sanctioned, similar inconveniences can happen to any woman in public office tomorrow, but also to any woman in our society.

Bravely, femininely and humanely, we stand side by side and demand from the public unequivocal condemnation of such attacks and dealing with this topic, not only on the day when an attack occurs, but until they become part of the past.

Note:

The joint statement is signed by women employed at the Prime Minister's Office, State Secretaries and Secretaries in the Ministries, and we believe that the list of our colleagues from the public administration who support the position presented here is significantly longer.

Ivana Malović, Chief of the Prime Minister's Office

Andrijana Đordan, Adviser to the Prime Minister - Head of the Public Relations Service

Vanja Radević, Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Adviser

Maida Gorčević , Prime Minister's Minority Adviser

Gordana Radović, Prime Minister's Economic Adviser

Ana Surjan, Deputy Chief of the Prime Minister's Office

Žana Praščević Milačić , Assistant Secretary General of the Government

Nikolina Mišnić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management

Milena Žižić, Acting Secretary at the Ministry of Capital Investments

Milena Lipovina Božović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development

Ivana Đurović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development

Jovana Ostojić, Acting Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports

Milica Perišić, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sandra Bulatović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence

Vesna Brajović, Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior