21/4/2011, Belgrade: Autonomous Women’s Center and the Network for European Women’s Lobby Serbia launched an initiative to establish an independent expert body on violence against women – Observatory on violence against women.

At the conference that was held in Belgrade on April 21st 2011, where presented activities of EWL, models of National Observatories of Denmark and Ireland, and experiences of Croatia and Serbia. Representatives of independent national bodies for the Protection of Human Rights - Ombudsman, Commissioner for Protection of Equality and the Commissioner for Information of Public Interest and the Protection of Personal Data spoke about their role in the monitoring and implementation of laws. Representatives of more than 20 women's NGOs in Serbia discussed the rationale, content and formal aspects of designing the future of an independent body. It was concluded that it would be best to form a working group. The working group will operate through a consultative process and create a platform for the establishment of the Observatory on Violence against Women by the end of September 2011. These activities are implemented as part of a project funded by the European Union.