An artistic performance at the N.EON gallery marked the launch of the campaign “Till Death Do Us Part” by the Autonomous Women’s Center, aimed at preventing femicide as one of the most serious social problems not only in Serbia, but across the region. The campaign was supported by renowned fashion designer Marija Tarlać, whose unique black wedding dress, as the central element of the performance, becomes a symbol of the fight against femicide.

“No matter how strongly we believe that weddings are symbols of love and happiness, the experiences of women who have survived violence show that many of them experience violence for the first time during the wedding or immediately after it. The black wedding dress in this campaign is not a provocation, but a call to open our eyes to the reality in which the largest number of women are killed by their current or former partners. We want to draw attention to the fact that femicide is not a sudden tragedy, but the final act of long-term violence that the surrounding community could have recognized. Our goal is for everyone, in their own way, to help a woman living with violence—to understand her, support her, and never close the door to her,” emphasizes Vanja Macanović from the Autonomous Women’s Center.

Under the slogan “Till Death Do Us Part,” the campaign focuses on informing and educating the public about how to recognize patterns of behavior that most often lead to femicide and how to help someone who may be at risk. It therefore represents a kind of appeal to the community to recognize the problem and act preventively in order to prevent future cases of femicide.

According to data from the Autonomous Women’s Center, 424 cases of femicide were recorded in Serbia between 2011 and 2024. During 2024, at least 18 women were killed, while from the beginning of 2025 to today at least 14 women have been killed. Particularly alarming is the fact that in half of the cases the perpetrators of violence had previously been reported, and in most cases, they were the victims’ intimate partners. The home, a place that should represent safety, remains the most dangerous place for women experiencing violence.

That is why the black wedding dress, created by Marija Tarlać, is presented within the campaign as a symbol of remembrance and warning. The wedding dress, which usually signifies love, hope, and a new beginning, here serves as a reminder of the women who lost their lives to violence and of society’s responsibility to respond in time. Through this powerful symbol, the campaign becomes a voice of resistance to femicide and a call for joint action.

In the coming period, the “Till Death Do Us Part” campaign will continue through a series of activities aimed at informing the public, including educational materials, resources, and support groups intended for women experiencing violence, as well as for those around them. In this way, the Autonomous Women’s Center reminds us that femicide is not a private matter, but the responsibility of society, because a timely reaction can sometimes save a life. Let us prevent femicide together!

The realization of the campaign was supported by the agencies McCann Belgrade, Two Rivers, Universal Media, and NN Media.