Ahead of International Women’s Day, Women Leaders Association of Montenegro organized a workshop in Podgorica on the topic “Women Leaders in Organizations – A Different Approach as a Measure of Success,” bringing together numerous successful and influential women, including members of the Association, as well as representatives of the Government and other important Montenegrin institutions.

The event was opened by the President of ALCG, Marijana Kadić Bojanić, Executive Director of TV Vijesti and Daily Press, who emphasized the true importance of celebrating International Women’s Day.

“March 8th is everything but a consumerist holiday. We celebrate this day to remember all those brave women who sacrificed even their lives so that today we can enjoy what might seem trivial – the right to vote. If women in a New York factory, over a hundred of them, sacrificed their lives, if Rosa Luxemburg did it, if the suffragettes did it so that we could have equality and freedom of choice, then the least we can do is sacrifice a little of our free time, goodwill, and ideas – which I’m sure we all have,” said Kadić Bojanić.

She emphasized the important role the Association can play in advancing the position of women.

“I’m proud of the entire Board of the Association of Women Leaders because they are willing to dedicate a great deal of time, work, and knowledge to this organization and movement. March 8th reminds us that every human being deserves respect and equality, and it inspires us to continue dreaming, creating, and building a world we truly want – one that is fairer than today. Today we celebrate your courage and determination; thank you for inspiring everyone around you,” said the ALCG President.

The guest lecturer at the workshop was Professor Miloš Bešić, who presented data on regional and global representation of women in leadership positions.

“According to Fortune 500 data, only about ten percent of CEO positions in the Western world are held by women. The World Economic Forum predicts that gender equality in leadership may be achieved by the year 2154. In Serbia, around 30 percent of managerial positions are held by women, but only about ten occupy high-level CEO roles. In Montenegro, there are not few women in private ownership structures, but research shows that behind some of those ownerships are often men who register companies in the name of their sister or wife for business advantages. So, when we talk about companies owned by women, the question is how authentic that data is,” Bešić explained.

He also pointed to leading examples of gender equality such as Sweden, Finland, and Norway, highlighting the importance of quota implementation in those countries.

“In these countries, there was a major debate about quotas. I always support quotas because in societies with dominant masculinity and male authoritarian patterns defining power relations, you cannot solve the problem quickly without them. Quotas are the only way, and no matter the resistance, Scandinavia has shown good results. The second generation of quota policies is already producing great outcomes,” he added.

During the lecture, Professor Bešić discussed various traits that define a good female leader, including confidence, decisiveness, empathy, assertiveness, and adaptability. He also differentiated between the roles of a manager and a leader.

“A leader creates the future, while a manager ensures the system works today. Without good managers, there is no realization of a vision,” he stated.

He also spoke about the barriers that limit women’s career advancement – the so-called “glass ceiling” and “sticky floor.” He emphasized gender stereotypes as the main obstacle and presented findings from the latest European Values Study, focusing on data for Montenegro.

“54% of surveyed Montenegrins agree that when a mother works a paid job, children suffer. 40% agree that while having a job is acceptable, most women prefer to take care of home and children. Overall, 30% believe that family life suffers when women have full-time jobs. Every fourth respondent believes that men are better business managers than women. 20% think a man’s role is to earn money, and a woman’s to take care of the home and family. The research was conducted on a representative sample of 1,500 citizens of Montenegro,” Bešić noted.

As key barriers still hindering female leadership, he pointed to the rise of right-wing political movements and policies.

“Right-wing movements reinforce stereotypes. There’s also the strengthening of religiosity, which by definition places women in an inferior position compared to men. We’re witnessing the rise of masculine, authoritarian political leaders around the world. Digital technologies also reinforce gender stereotypes, and within the technological sector driving the digital age, there are far fewer women,” Bešić concluded.