LocationsPublic administration employees as gender equality promoters
December 1, 2022
Podgorica, 1 December 2022 – Public institutions and their employees play an important role in the implementation of strategic documents as the agents of change for a more gender-just and equal public administration in all areas of its work, it was said during the "Gender responsible communication in public administration" panel discussion held during the fourth day of Gender Equality Week.
The panel discussion, which was held in the Human Resources Management Authority, is part of the joint efforts of UNDP and the Authority aimed at strengthening the knowledge and capacity of public institutions and their employees in recognising stereotypes in public discourse, as well as in relation to gender principles in communications.
The publication "Gender Responsible Communication in Public Administration" and the accompanying manual were presented during this event which gathered communication experts, trainers and communication officers from public institutions. As part of the "Communicating Gender Equality" project, implemented by UNDP with the financial support of the EU Delegation, and in partnership with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, this publication represents another valuable tool for further work on the establishment of inclusive public administration.
Since raising awareness of the importance of gender equality also involves nurturing the female heritage of Montenegro, an exhibition, which shows only a small part of women and their immeasurable contribution to the emancipation of our society, was opened today in the premises of the Authority. Illustrations and texts about these women are part of the monograph titled "Women of Montenegro" edited by Svetlana Lola Milickovic, Tijana Todorovic and Olivera Todorovic.
Acting director of the Human Resources Management Authority, Djuro Nikac, pointed out that gender equality is at the heart of efficient, transparent and inclusive public administration.
"We will strive to be the best promoters of the gender equality principle through our activities. Through partnership with UNDP, the Human Resources Management Authority, as the central institution for the education and training of all public administration employees strengthened its capacities, which in the coming period will enable better integration of the principle of gender equality in the work of the public administration," Nikac said.
UNDP Resident Representative for Montenegro, Daniela Gasparikova, emphasised the importance of the culture of memory for the process of emancipation and value creation, adding that today we present part of the women's heritage of Montenegro and celebrate women who have made an immeasurable contribution to the development of Montenegro.
" When it comes to about a gender-responsive social environment, we cannot forget the important role of the institutions of the system. Within their respective mandate, they are obliged and responsible for creating policies and a system that provides all citizens with equal chances and opportunities to live the lives they want. In this regard, we recognised the Hyman Resources Management Authority as a key link in the process of strengthening the capacity of public administration employees, which entails improving their skills for mainstreaming a diverse perspective into all segments of their work, including gender-responsible communication," Gasparikova said.
The panellists, Mirjana Ivanovic, a communications expert, and Marija Hajdukovic, Director General of the Directorate for Strategic Planning and IPA in the Ministry of Public Administration, spoke about the importance of gender-responsible communication, as well as the contribution that everyone can make in order to jointly strengthen capacities and educate employees about the importance of promoting gender equality as one of the fundamental human rights.
During the event, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between UNDP and the Human Resources Management Authority, which represents the foundation for achieving the highest gender equality criteria contained in UNDP Gender Equality Seal. Joint activities will be continued through the project "Promoting dialogue and joint actions to combat hate speech", funded by UNDP's Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience portfolio.
