Institutionalisation of a gender perspective in the justice system is an essential step toward strengthening the accountability of the judiciary. Different factors affect gender equality within the judicial systems in Europe, including in Montenegro. According to the 2020 Baseline Gender Analysis, the glass ceiling phenomenon still affects the promotion and carrier advancement of judges and prosecutors in the country; and there are still no permanent judicial training programmes for mainstreaming a gender perspective into the existing frameworks.

The joint European Union and Council of Europe action "Accountability and professionalism of the judicial system in Montenegro" is taking steps to support gender mainstreaming of the judicial reform in Montenegro, by assisting judicial institutions to develop responses, policies and structures to counter gender biases and build awareness on gender equality standards and principles.

To help mainstream a gender perspective in planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the judicial reform in Montenegro, in-depth research started recently. An Inception report has been prepared, encompassing a comprehensive methodology which combines desk research, online focus groups, individual interviews and online survey.

The research will be implemented during the period October - December 2021 and will help identify gender gaps at different levels - policy, institutional and practical ones, while proposing measures to close the gaps and bring better outcomes for both men and women in the judicial system of Montenegro.

The action “Accountability and professionalism of the judicial system in Montenegro” is a part of the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019 – 2022”.