OSCE holds workshop on the development of gender-based violence curriculum for law enforcement in Podgorica

Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, Deputy Head of Mission to Montenegro, Bjorn Tore Saltvik, Adviser on Police Reform in TNTD, Maida Cehajic-Campara, OSCE consultant and Alina Munteanu, Associate Project Officer, at the workshop for law enforcement on gender-based violence in Podgorica, Montenegro, 29 November 2022. (OSCE/Ana Kostic) Photo details

On 29 November 2022, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department held a workshop dedicated to updating the curriculum for law enforcement on gender-based violence (GBV) in Podgorica. This is the sixth workshop organized at the national level within the project "Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe", implemented in partnership with the OSCE Gender Issues Programme and supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.

Workshop participants analyzed and proposed improvements to the current national training curriculum on how to prevent and fight GBV. Suggestions aimed to align the current materials with the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention, with a 'state-of-the-art' curriculum piloted at the regional level, and with the findings of a mapping of training curricula for police and judiciary, conducted in 2021 and 2022 as part of the OSCE WIN project.

The workshop gathered 17 participants (15 women and 2 men), including representatives from the Police Academy, Police Directorate, Police Units in Budva, Bar and Berane, Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, Directorate for Protection against Gender-based Violence and Domestic Violence, Ministry of Health, State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica, SOS Podgorica and the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.

During the workshop, participants discussed the set of recommendations proposed by the OSCE to improve the national curriculum and elaborated on effective ways to institutionalize changes. Participants also stressed the relevance of the project and their continued interest in its activities.

Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, underlined that "as a widespread and often under-reported phenomenon, GBV influences the security and safety of everyone living in Montenegro, specifically women and children."

Maida Cehajic-Campara, OSCE consultant, emphasized that "the training materials on GBV for cadets and police officers should include the topics of gender inequality and discrimination, as root causes of GBV. All forms of violence should be addressed, in particular, new forms of violence, such as digital/online violence."

The workshop will be followed by a specialized training course for police officers, planned for 2023. The training will be organized together with the Police Academy and the Police Directorate, and will ensure local ownership and full customization to the national needs.