OSCE supports strengthening of women’s leadership in the Montenegrin Police

While more women are joining the police service in Montenegro, their representation in leadership and decision-making positions remains low. Addressing this gap is not a matter of fairness – it is essential for strengthening institutional effectiveness, resilience, and public confidence. 

To support efforts to address this challenge, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior and the Police Directorate of Montenegro (PD), organized a two-day workshop, Beyond Numbers: Strengthening Women’s Leadership and Gender-sensitive Practices in the Montenegrin Police on 29 and 30 June in Podgorica.

The workshop brought together more than 30 participants, including representatives of the Ministry and the PD, parliamentary committees on Security and Defence and Gender Equality, civil society organizations, international partners, academia, police cadets, and youth. Discussions focused on gender and policing in Montenegro, gender-responsive human resource management and capacity development, integration of gender mechanisms in security institutions, and accountability and oversight of gender-sensitive policies.

Opening the workshop, Deputy Head of Mission Giovanni Gabassi noted that 2026 marked the 20^th anniversary of the partnership between the OSCE and Montenegro, with the Ministry of Interior and the PD remaining among the Mission’s longest-standing and most trusted partners. 

“Our partnership has produced tangible results. Today, compared to 2020, we are witnessing a significant increase in the share of women in the police service - from 12.22 per cent in 2020 to 19.34 per cent in 2026,” said Gabassi. However, he added, “there remains a major gender gap with respect to leadership positions as there has never been a woman as Police director, Deputy Police Director, or Head of a Regional Security Centre.”

Interior Ministry State Secretary Dragana Kažanegra said that women made up over 60 per cent of employees in the Ministry, with a significant number of women in decision-making positions. 

“In the Police Directorate, the representation of women is close to 20 per cent, with very limited participation in leadership positions. Although this data shows that there are still challenges ahead in increasing women’s participation in policing … it also provides a strong incentive to continue with policies that contribute to increasing their participation and creating equal opportunities for professional development and advancement,” said Kažanegra.

This two-day workshop, together with its recommendations and follow-up activities, will serve as a practical resource for Montenegrin law enforcement authorities to implement measures aimed at increasing the number of women in leadership positions, while also strengthening their retention, professional development, and advancement as police officers and managers.