Troll of the Month: Žana Mihaljević
June 4, 2026
The Balkan Troll of the Month is an individual, a group of individuals or a media outlet that spreads hate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or other diversity categories. The Balkan Troll is selected based on hate speech incidents identified across the Western Balkan region.
On 18 May 2026, the Montenegrin media outlet Vijesti published an article about a controversial Instagram post by Žana Mihaljević, founder of the foundation “I ja imam pravo da budem mama” (I also have a right to be a mum) from Podgorica. In the post, Mihaljević invited future parents to contact her for consultations about programs that allegedly allow them to choose the sex of their baby. The post was accompanied with the caption: “The possibility of choosing the sex exists. Plan your family the way you want.” She also wrote that the first consultations were free.
The incident took place online, on Instagram, and concerned the promotion of alleged medical or reproductive services related to sex selection of a child. Several experts in infertility treatment told Vijesti that genetic testing for the purpose of determining or choosing the sex of a baby is legally prohibited in Montenegro.
As a result, the case was reported to the Ministry of Health by the NGO Udruženje Roditelji on 9 April 2026. They requested an urgent reaction, warning that the content promoted alleged medical methods for family planning with the possibility of choosing the sex of a child. They also asked the Ministry to determine whether the post violated legal and ethical standards in health care and advertising, and whether it could mislead citizens. In response, the Ministry of Health confirmed that the Health Inspection was examining whether Mihaljević violated regulations.
Vijesti also sent questions regarding the post, resulting in Mihaljević closing her Instagram profile and changing her username. She refused to answer the newspaper’s questions in detail, saying she was in a sensitive health process and that the foundation does not provide medical services or medical advice, but only informational content.
In Montenegro and the wider Balkan region, the issue of choosing the sex of a baby is culturally sensitive because it is connected to long-standing patriarchal norms and a social preference for male children in some families and communities. Sons have traditionally been perceived as “heirs” who continue the family name, while daughters have often been treated as less desirable in deeply traditional settings.
For that reason, public promotion of services or consultations related to choosing the sex of a baby can have a discriminatory meaning, even if it is presented as “family planning”. In this context, such content may contribute to the normalisation of sex-selective practices and reinforce harmful gender stereotypes, especially against girls and female children.
Selective abortion is a deeply entrenched issue in Montenegro, with roots stretching back decades. Radio Free Europe first brought it to public attention ten years ago, citing UN research that placed Montenegro among nine countries worldwide with the most severe gender imbalance at birth, a ratio of 110 newborn boys for every 100 girls, driven by sex-selective abortions rooted in gender discrimination.
Since then, the situation has only worsened. Montenegrin health authorities have warned that the country already faces a shortage of more than 3,000 women of reproductive age, and the most recent 2023 data puts that figure at over 4,500, a stark illustration of the long-term demographic consequences.In 2017, the Women’s Rights Centre and McCann agency launched #Neželjena (Unwanted), a very successful campaign aimed at raising awareness of the misuse of prenatal testing and the practice of sex-selective abortion. At its core, the campaign challenged the deeply held cultural preference for male children and the normalisation of prenatal sex selection in Montenegrin society. It also crossed state borders and started a broader discussion on this issue in the region.