SHARECountry Data
Montenegro (Montenegro) has a Unicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and at the sub-national level. 23 of 81 (28%) seats in the Skupstina / Parliament are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Unicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? Yes
- For the Sub-National Level? Yes
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Apr 24, 2023
Single/Lower House
Skupstina / Parliament
| Total seats | 81 |
| Total Women | 23 |
| % Women | 28% |
| Election Year | 2020 |
| Electoral System | List PR |
| Quota Type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Electoral law | Parliamentary elections are held according to the proportional representation system with closed-lists, in a single nation-wide constituency. Article 39a of the Law on Election of Councilors and Representatives requires that there shall be no less than 30% of candidates of the less represented gender in the candidate lists. |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law | Article 39 a (2) and (3) of the Law on Election of Councilors and Representatives states that: Candidate lists not meeting the requirements referred to in paras. 1 and 2 of this Article shall be deemed to contain shortcomings in respect of its publishing, and the list submitting entity shall be invited to remove the shortcomings from the list, in conformity with this Law. The election commission shall refuse to publish candidate lists of candidate list submitting entities that do not remove shortcomings referred to in para.3 of this Article, in conformity with this Law. |
| Rank order/placement rules | Electoral law | Among each four candidates in the candidate list order (the first four places, the second four places and so on until the end of the list) there shall be at least one candidate who is a member of the underrepresented sex (article 39a:2). |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | Yes | Allocation of a percentage of public funds is linked to the promotion/respect of gender equality. Public financial resources shall be distributed in equal amounts to political entities having won seats in the Parliament and/or municipal assemblies, and the remaining 60% shall be distributed in proportion to the total number of MP and/or councillor seats they have at the time of distribution, while the remaining 20% shall be distributed in equal amounts to political entities in the Parliament and/or municipal assemblies, in proportion to the number of elected representatives of the underrepresented gender. See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | Yes, funding to women | Distribution of budgetary resources for regular financing of women's organizations in political parties. See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
- Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas
| Legal source | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Electoral law | Article 39a (1) of the Law on Election of Councilors and Representatives requires that there shall be no less than 30% of candidates of the less represented gender in the candidate list. |
|
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law |
|
|
| Rank order/placement rules | No | None |
Additional Information
In 2011, the electoral law was amended to include a 30 per cent quota for either gender (OSCE/ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission 2012: 5). In the 2012 parliamentary elections, the 30 per cent quota regulation was implemented for the first time, resulting in a significant increase in the number of female candidates, from 14.7 per cent in the previous elections, to 31 per cent of all candidates in the 2012 parliamentary elections. The quota requirements were met but as the order of the candidates is not specified in the law, only 14 (17 per cent) women were elected.
In 2014, an amendment was introduced to the electoral law, stipulating that when the term of office of an MP of the less represented gender ends, the next candidate on the electoral list of the less represented gender is to be elected to replace the MP. In 2016, the law was further amended, however no changes were made to the substance of the articles referring to the legsilated candidate quotas.
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Law on Election of Councillors and Members of Parliament (rev.2020)
- Constitution of Montenegro (rev. 2013) (English version)
OTHER SOURCES:
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe [OSCE] Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. (2012). Montenegro, Early Parliamentary Elections, 14 October 2012. Limited Election Observation Mission Final Report. [Last accessed: 2021-11-25]
- UN Women. (n.d.). Montenegro commits to implementing national plan and law towards equality in all areas
Additional reading
- Vukotić, A. (June 15, 2021). Recommendations for strengthening women's parliamentary representation in Montenegro. Women's Rights Center. [Last accessed: 2021-11-25]
- Dahlerup, D. & Antić Gaber, M. (2017). The legitimacy and effectiveness of gender quotas in politics in CE Europe. Teorija in praksa, 54.
- United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] & Ministry for Human and Minority Rights (n.d.). Women's Political Network (WPN) Montenegro. [European Institute for Gender Equality]