In Montenegro, Women Sustain Agriculture but Hold Little Land

Gender inequalities are most pronounced in the northern region, where around 60 per cent of residents live in rural areas.

Women in Montenegro perform much of the country’s agricultural work yet remain largely excluded from land ownership and decision-making. They make up more than half of the workforce on family farms but just 12.9 per cent of those who hold ownership or secure rights to agricultural land.

This is according to the new National Gender Profile of Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in close partnership with the Government of Montenegro.

“Without addressing persistent gender disparities, it will not be possible to achieve better food security, improve nutrition, reduce poverty or build resilience to climate change,” said Nabil Gangi, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia and FAO Representative in Montenegro. 

"This assessment sheds light on the vital but often invisible contributions of women to rural development and outlines key directions for ensuring that rural women both benefit from and contribute to agrifood systems transformation,” Gangi said.

Unequal Rural Realities

Drawing on data from the country’s first agricultural census in 14 years, the report shows that women’s work in agriculture in Montenegro is often unpaid and undervalued, even though it is central to food production and household well-being.

Gender inequalities are most pronounced in the northern region, where around 60 per cent of residents live in rural areas. Agriculture remains the backbone of local livelihoods, but poverty levels there are almost three times higher than in other parts of the country. Women face limited access to education, health care and employment, and spend long hours balancing farm work with domestic and care responsibilities, leaving little time for training or entrepreneurship.

At the national level, Montenegro has made progress on gender equality, with its Gender Equality Index improving from 55.0 in 2019 to 59.3 in 2023 (out of a possible 100). However, the country remains behind the European Union average. The widest gaps persist in access to financial resources and participation in decision-making, two factors that strongly influence women’s ability to invest in and shape agrifood systems.

Signs of Progress

Despite these challenges, gradual change is under way. Women now head around 16 per cent of registered family farms and, under the 2025 Agrobudget, they are entitled to 10 per cent additional funding in selected investment areas such as crop and dairy production.

Women’s entrepreneurship is also expanding. About one in four micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Montenegro is owned by women, although many rural businesses remain informal. Women who took part in the Country Gender Assessment’s focus group discussions expressed strong interest in developing business, digital and marketing skills, alongside improved access to start-up capital and professional networks.

Land Ownership and Decision-Making Remain Unequal

Despite these signs of progress, however, deep-rooted inequalities persist in land ownership and leadership. While the country’s legal framework guarantees equal property rights for women and men, cultural norms continue to favour male inheritance. Many women still renounce property in favour of male relatives, limiting their access to collateral and finance.

Much of the rural economy in Montenegro depends on women’s unpaid work on family farms, yet this effort seldom appears in statistics or policymaking. The assessment urges improved sex-disaggregated data to capture women’s full contribution to rural life and the economy.

Empowered Women, Transforming Agrifood Systems

Montenegro has made important progress in aligning its policies with European Union standards and with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Still, many sectoral strategies remain gender blind, lacking the practical measures, targets and resources needed to translate legal commitments into action.

“Together with United Nations agencies, development partners and other stakeholders, FAO will continue to provide technical expertise and support to the Government of Montenegro in order to address systemic barriers for empowering rural women, in alignment with national priorities and international commitments,” Gangi said.

The Country Gender Assessment offers a framework for integrating gender perspectives across agriculture, rural development and climate adaptation while expanding women’s access to resources, finance and leadership roles.

As 2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer, the findings highlight the need for policies and investments to ensure that rural women have equal access to land, finance and decision-making in agrifood systems.

This story was originally published by the UN in Montenegro team. Please visit the team's website for more information about the UN's work in Montenegro.