On the 25th of November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” has started. The campaign is implemented by 2000 organisations in more than 150 counties worldwide. Campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” comprises four important international dates connecting women, violence and human rights. The campaign ends on 10 December by the International Day for the Elimination of Violence.

The press conference on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was organised by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and Ministry for Human and Minority Rights.

The following spoke at the conference: Chairperson of the Committee Ms Nada Drobnjak, Minister for Human and Minority Rights Mr Suad Numanović, Minister of Labour Minister Zorica Kovačević, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Mr Dan Redford, Head of the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office Ms Ljiljana Klikovac and Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Mr Dragan Pejanović.

Chairperson of the Committee Ms Nada Drobnjak stressed the importance of this date and emphasised the importance of the Podgorica Declaration against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, adopted at the recently finished two-day International Conference dedicated to implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. Representatives of the parliaments, governments, relevant national institutions and organisations of the civil society dealing with protection and promotion of rights of women victims of violence from 11 regional states. The Podgorica Declaration advocates for continuation of cooperation of states in the region on implementation and monitoring of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence with the joint goal of achieving zero tolerance for violence against women and domestic violence, development of democracy, and equal participation of both genders in these activities. Call for institutions for protection of human rights and freedoms, as well as bodies for equality and promotion of equality, to provide, within its competencies, a special contribution to prevention of violence against women and domestic violence, to deterrence of perpetrators by insisting on adequate penal policy and especially to protection of victims as a particularly risky group. The Podgorica Declaration request that presidents of the states, at one of their summits, consider the issue of violence against women and domestic violence, and adopt a document which would strengthen the gender equality policy of preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.