A conference dedicated to the fight against violence against women was held in Belgrade, with the message that breaking the silence is the first step towards change. Representatives of institutions, international organizations and the private sector spoke about legislative frameworks, challenges in the field and the need for systemic and continuous support for women and children who survived violence.
"Violence against women it's not just a women's issue, it's a problem for the whole society that requires a comprehensive approach", pointed out Plamena Halačeva, Deputy Head of the Delegation Of the European Union in Serbia, opening the conference "You are not alone - United against violence against women and girls" at the European House in Belgrade.
Halačeva pointed out the key challenges and available institutional mechanisms in the prevention of violence, stressing the need for preventive measures.
"Ending gender-based violence starts with prevention. Prevention is the key to breaking the vicious cycle that fuels violence. Protection ensures the immediate safety and well-being of victims-survivors. Together with criminal prosecution and harmonized policies, these four pillars form a strong framework for creating a safer and fairer world for all. By acceding to the EU Istanbul Convention and adopting the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, we confirm our commitment to ending gender-based violence, not only within The EU, but also through our foreign policy," said Halačeva.
"The most important thing is that there is no condemnation"
The Vice-President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Elvira Kovač, says that the most important thing is that there is no condemnation, because such a situation can happen, and explains that it is wrong to say that the woman herself is to blame.
"The abuser uses his power and that is not normal, we must not judge the victims, we must not close our eyes and act as if it is not happening around us. On the other hand, since I have really dealt with this topic a lot, I am not ashamed to say that I am a victim of domestic violence and I know how difficult it is to get out of it, that is why we must not judge the victims", notes Kovač.
Jelena Trivan, general director of m:tel BiH, spoke about the importance of the inclusion of large companies in the "You are not alone" campaign led by Telekom in the region, as well as in the fight against violence against women and children, which is a public problem and obligation.
She also assessed that the key word in solving the problem is breaking the vow of silence and emphasized that there are more children than women in safe houses in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Loud music is reported, and loud crying never, we have to change that," said Trivan and added that precisely this awakened awareness of citizens about the importance of constantly reporting violence should be one of the results of the campaign along with certain legal changes and concrete moves in society.
"Tolerating violent speech is a big problem"
The deputy director of UNICEF in Serbia, Karol Vinjo, states that the big problem is the tolerance of violent speech, both in public and private space, and that the problem of violence must be solved holistically, by working together.
"There is a lot to be done. The legal framework allows us to see that violence against women is connected with violence against children. These phenomena are absolutely connected, numerous studies show that," says Vinjo.
Mina Grašić from the Safe House in Belgrade states that there are three safe houses on the territory of Belgrade and that their capacities are full.
"We try as much as we can to provide them with support, primarily psychological support, psychotherapists work with children and women every day or as needed. We also have a kindergarten within the safe houses. However, I think that it is necessary to continue the work, to introduce some kind of mandatory education in schools, so that these children are not labeled, so that they are not stigmatized," says Grašić.
The discussion pointed to the need for continuous education of institutions about the specifics of violence against women and girls, the need to empower women through programs of economic independence, as well as the fight against the phenomenon of child marriage in marginalized communities.
Participants agreed that changing the narrative – from victim blaming to perpetrator responsibility – is a prerequisite for lasting social change.
The panel discussion was moderated by RTS journalist and member of the association "Journalists against violence" Ana Manojlović.
The conference "You are not alone - United against violence against women and girls" was realized in cooperation with the Safe House in Belgrade, UNICEF and the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, under the auspices of the company m:tel from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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