International Women's Day March in Podgorica: Institutions Are Endangering Lives with Negligence and Ignorance, That’s Why – Protest!

Source: Antena M, Author: M.J. GDNUS

On the occasion of International Women's Day, the Center for Women's Rights (CŽP) organized the March for Women’s Rights in Podgorica under the slogan **"Protest"**.

Tanja Markuš from the Center for Women's Rights emphasized that the goal of the march is to fight for the safety of all citizens of Montenegro.

"Today, as we fight for equality and justice, we are faced with a system that is deaf to the needs of its citizens, leaving us divided, unprotected, and uninformed. For the umpteenth time, we remind that a life free from violence, discrimination, and fear is a fundamental human right, not a privilege," Markuš said, as quoted by RTCG.

She stated that they demand effective protection for women and all citizens from violence, as well as the eradication of institutional incompetence, which, as she added, costs lives.

"We demand a functioning judicial system based on ethics, not political affiliations," she emphasized.

Markuš also called for accountability from all institutions that, with their negligence and ignorance, endanger people's lives, stating: "And that’s why – protest. Protest as a response to injustice, to insecurity, to a state that will not or cannot do its job. Protest as a symbol of justice, as the power of those who refuse to be victims of the system, and protest as the energy that brings change."

Earlier, the Center for Women's Rights called on citizens to join them in the protest and march, raising their voices for the safety of all citizens of Montenegro.

"Faced with a system that is deaf to the needs of its citizens, leaving us divided, unprotected, and uninformed, we demand effective protection for women and all citizens from violence and the eradication of institutional negligence, which we pay for with our lives," CŽP stated.

The march began at Slobode Street, continued along Petar Cetinjski Boulevard, to the Blažo Jovanović Bridge, then through Stanko Dragojević Street and Bokeška Street, returning to Independence Square.

"Let us march for a future where no one will fear for their life, where justice is not a privilege of the few, but a right for all," said CŽP.