28/12/2015, Belgrade: Autonomous Women Center and the network Women against Violence organized on December 28th 2015 public discussion on establishing the national SOS help-line for women victims of domestic violence.

Participants in public discussion were Branka Drašković, counselor of the president of the Coordination body for gender equality of the Government of the Republic of Serbia , Biljana Stepanov, coordinator of Vojvodina SOS Hot-line, Aleksandra Nestorov, coordinator of the network WAV and Vanja Macanović on behalf of AWC.

It is stated that the state of Serbia is obliged to take on itself the establishment and sustainable financing of the national SOS hot-line for support to women victims of violence as part of ratification of the Council of Europe Convention against violence against women.

It is emphasized that specific characteristic of this service is that women calling SOS hot-line can remain anonymous, but still receive support and all relevant information in confidential form, which is especially important when women's confidence in institutions is undermined. For past decades, this service - the oldest service for women victims of violence in Serbia - is provided exclusively by specialized organizations of civil society, without any financial support from state.

It is concluded that the future phone number of the SOS hot-line should be made available to all citizens through media and other forms of public announcements, presented together with others generally known public emergency numbers, such are police, fire department and medical emergency.

Report in Serbian from this event is available here.