Women in Montenegro perform a significant share of the country’s agricultural work but remain largely excluded from land ownership and decision-making. Although they represent more than half of the workforce on family farms, only 12.9 percent hold ownership or secure rights to agricultural land. This disparity was highlighted in the new National Gender Profile of Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with the Government of Montenegro. FAO emphasizes that addressing gender disparities is critical for improving food security, nutrition, poverty reduction, and resilience to climate change.
Data from Montenegro’s first agricultural census in 14 years show that women’s work in agriculture is often unpaid and undervalued, despite being central to food production and household well-being. Gender inequalities are most pronounced in the northern region, where rural populations make up about 60 percent of residents and poverty levels are nearly three times higher than elsewhere. Women there face limited access to education, healthcare, and employment, while balancing farm work with domestic responsibilities, leaving little time for skill-building or entrepreneurship.
At the national level, Montenegro has made gradual progress on gender equality, with the Gender Equality Index improving from 55.0 in 2019 to 59.3 in 2023. However, the country still lags behind the European Union average, particularly in access to financial resources and participation in decision-making, which affect women’s ability to invest in and influence agrifood systems.
Despite persistent challenges, signs of progress are evident. Women now head around 16 percent of registered family farms, and the 2025 Agrobudget provides them with 10 percent additional funding in selected investment areas such as crop and dairy production. Women’s entrepreneurship is growing, with about one in four micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises owned by women, though many rural businesses remain informal. Women participating in focus groups expressed strong interest in building business, digital, and marketing skills, alongside improved access to start-up capital and professional networks.
Deep-rooted inequalities persist in land ownership and leadership. While Montenegro’s legal framework guarantees equal property rights, cultural norms often favor male inheritance. Many women renounce property in favor of male relatives, limiting access to collateral and financing. Women’s unpaid work on family farms, which underpins much of the rural economy, is seldom captured in statistics or policymaking. The assessment calls for improved sex-disaggregated data to reflect women’s full contributions to rural life and the economy.
Montenegro has aligned some policies with European Union standards, CEDAW, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, yet many sectoral strategies remain gender-blind, lacking practical measures, targets, and resources. FAO and partners continue to support the government in addressing systemic barriers to empower rural women. The Country Gender Assessment provides a framework for integrating gender perspectives across agriculture, rural development, and climate adaptation, expanding women’s access to resources, finance, and leadership. With the 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer approaching, the findings underscore the urgent need for policies and investments to ensure rural women have equal access to land, finance, and decision-making in Montenegro’s agrifood systems.
