The Gender Equality Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Centre for Roma Initiative - Nikšić and the IPA Section Montenegro, organised a Regional Conference on the topic “Prevention of Child, Forced, Arranged Marriages in the Communities of Roma and Egyptians”.

 The Conference was held in the building of the Parliament of Montenegro today.

The following spoke at the opening of the Conference: Ms Nada Drobnjak, Chairperson of the Gender Equality Committee, Ms Fana Delija, Executive Coordinator of the Centre for Roma Initiative - Nikšić, Mr Vojislav Dragović, President of the International Police Association - IPA Section Montenegro, Ms Margaret Ann Uyehara, US Ambassador in Podgorica, Mr Suad Numanović, Minister of Human and Minority Rights, Ms Zorica Kovačević, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Ms Jadranka Miličević, representative of the CARE International-BiH, and Mr Sead Frljučkić, Advisor to the Director of the Police Administration.

In her address, Chairperson of the Committee Ms Nada Drobnjak pointed out that the Gender Equality Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro sought to affirm the policy of anti-discrimination, as well as activities which encourage improvement of the overall position of Roma and Egyptian communities, honouring of human rights and freedoms and especially acquiring conditions for a better position and protection of children and women among the Roma and Egyptian population. Among other things, she said that according to the data from the latest census, a total of 8,305 representatives of Roma and Egyptian communities live in Montenegro, and that the statistics show that the average age of Roma in Montenegro is 22, and that only one person in 100 lives to be 60 years old or older. She also pointed out the data that each Roma female between 15 and 19 had already given birth. Starting from the above, Chairperson of the Committee Ms Nada Drobnjak emphasises that continued effort is needed with regard to raising awareness on prohibition of forced and child marriages, because arranged marriages represent violence and they try to justify them with the fact that they are a part of the Roma tradition, as well as that the NGO Centre for Roma Initiative and other NGOs dealing with these issues have been making efforts for a while now to make this phenomenon visible and to stop its several decades long tolerating.

Executive Coordinator of the Centre for Roma Initiative - Nikšić Ms Fana Delija expressed her expectation that the conclusions adopted today would contribute to prevention of arranged marriages and that we must not allow arranged marriages to be stronger than the law.

President of the International Police Association - IPA Section Montenegro Mr Vojislav Dragović pointed out as significant activities with regard to forming a Team for Support to the RE population, education of police officiers, cooperation with the IPA Sections in the region, with whom they share experiences in work of the police with regard to the RE population. Furthermore, he pointed out that in its future work, the IPA Section of Montenegro would make efforts and strive to provide any kind of support and understanding to wider social community, with focus on at-risk population, through involvement in programmes for democratisation of the society.

Minister of Human and Minority Rights Mr Suad Numanović says that, with regard to achieving the goal of eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and girls of Roma and Egyptian population, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights continuously organises activities, especially with regard to raising awareness of the general population on occurrence of early and forced marriages among this population. He emphasised that the topic of forced marriages should be discussed openly and the most effective ways to prevent these, not only negative but also uncivilised, occurrences should be considered. The majority of Roma and Egyptian females do not choose their own spouse independently, instead their father or relatives decide on their marriages. They become married very early and the majority of those marriages in the Roma community are not made legally. Due to traditionalism, girls are exposed to the grossest forms of violation of basic human rights, such as forced marriages and buying and selling of girls.

In her address, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Ms Zorica Kovačević pointed out that Montenegro had been working on integration of Roma and Egyptians, providing them with: social inclusion, health care protection, housing, employment, inclusion in the education system and other access to law, in order for them to be equal with Montenegrin citizens, as well as that enormous funds of the state and international donors were allocated for improvement of living conditions of these persons. Furthermore, she pointed out that changing traditions was one of the most lengthy of processes, however it was possible to do it by focused effort of the society and raising awareness of Roma and Egyptian communities in which this occurrence is normal. One of necessary measures is stricter penal policy towards parents who prolong this harmful tradition.

During the plenary work, the following spoke: Ms Slavica Vasić, NGO “Bibija”, Serbia,  Ms Nadica Balog, NGO “Romsko srce” (Roma Heart), Croatia, Ms Fatima Naza, NGO “Centre for Roma Initiative”, Nikšić, Ms Indira Bajramović, NGO “Bolja budućnost” (Better Future), BiH, Ms Shpresa Agushi, NGO Network of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women's Organizations, Kosovo, Mr Ferdi Ismaili, NVO “Sonce” (Sun), Macedonia,  Ms Zoja Tarlamišaj, NVO “Ruža” (Rose), and  Mr Elvis Beriša, NVO “Koračajte sa nama” (Walk with us), as well as Ms Sandra Vekić, IPA Section Croatia, Mr Slavko Milić, IPA Section Montenegro, Mr Shaban Tasholli, IPA Section Kosovo, Mr Dane Trajkovski, IPA Section Macedonia.

The Conference was attended by: members of the Committee, representatives of IPA Sectios - Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, and Macedonia, representatives of the NGOs from Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, and Macedonia, as well as representatives of the ministries, judiciary, Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, Office for Fight Against Trafficking in Human Beings, US Embassy in Podgorica, and international organisations.

At the end of the Conference, Recommendations for all actors were adopted - decision-makers, state and local institutions, civil society organisations, representatives of the international community and donors, because joint work on elimination of this occurrence, regional cooperation and and sharing of experiences are of vital importance.

The Conference is organised within the project “Regional Cooperation in Combating of Child, Forced, Arranged Marriages in the Communities of Roma and Egyptians”, implemented by the Centre for Roma Initiative - Nikšić,  in cooperation with the IPA Section Montenegro, with financial support by the US Embassy in Podgorica.