November 18, 2019 - In cooperation with UNICEF, the Statistics Office - MONSTAT organized the regional conference in Tivat, presenting the key findings of the MICS Survey on Multiple Indicators of the Rights of Children and Families in Montenegro, conducted during 2018. It is the largest post-census survey, conducted with the support of UNICEF, every five years, to collect statistically reliable and internationally comparable data on a range of indicators in the areas of health, education, child protection, and HIV / AIDS.
The conference began with a screening of short animations on crucial findings of MICS research in Montenegro at the general population and the Roma settlements level, after which UNICEF Ambassador to Montenegro Ambassador Osama Makawi Kogali addressed the conference. Today's discussion was based on the presentation of data obtained in four areas: breastfeeding, early education, immunization, and violent disciplining of children. The results show that progress has been made in certain areas compared to the previous survey conducted in 2013, but also indicates fields where further efforts are needed. A particular problem, especially in the southern region, continues to be violence against children.
"The 2018 MICS survey shows no progress in terms of violence against children at home compared to five years ago. About two-thirds of children aged 1-14 are exposed to at least one form of psychological or physical punishment by their parents. This problem is even more pronounced in the southern region of Montenegro, where the percentage of children facing some form of violence is as high as 70 percent. These data tell us that we need to change the social norms of child-rearing and lower the threshold of tolerance for violent disciplining of children and all other forms of violence," said UNICEF Ambassador to Montenegro Osama Makawi Kogali.
Director of the Directorate for Statistics Gordana Radojevic presented the key findings of the research, which included extensive preparation and training for young researchers, which ensured that the data obtained were relevant and comparable to MIKS surveys conducted worldwide. Also, Montenegro now has a significant pool of young researchers who can deal with not only statistics but also analysis and research in general tomorrow," Radojevic said.
Key findings from MICS health research were presented by Dr. Senad Begić, Assistant Director of the Institute of Public Health, after which the audience was able to ask questions.
