At the international conference on specialized support services for women victims of violence, held in Sarajevo on the 5th of May, Autonomous Women's Center presented the situation in Serbia in the panel "Experiences from the region - cooperation between governmental and non-governmental sector in the realization of specialized services for women victims of domestic violence".

Conference "Cooperation between governmental institutions and organizations with women's non-governmental organizations in order to implement Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence" was organized by the "United Women" Foundation Banja Luka, in cooperation with the Commission for Gender Equality of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Gender equality Agency of the Ministry of Human rights and Refugees.

Activists of Autonomous Women's Center pointed out that after ratification there were no significant harmonization with the standards of the Convention at the national level nor its direct implementation. There is a noticeable tendency for all services, including specialized, to remain in the public sector - contrary to the standards of the Convention. Also noticeable is the lack of trust between the government and the autonomous non-governmental sector, as well as the impression of the public sector, primarily social welfare centers, that autonomous women's organizations are competitors, not collaborators. The problem of rare and minimal financial support for specialized women's organizations that provide services to women who have experienced violence was emphasized.

The conference is part of the regional program "Coordinated efforts - toward new European standards in the fight against violence against women", which is implemented in cooperation of the Autonomous Women's Center with United Women Foundation of Banja Luka, the Safe Women's House from Podgorica, the Centre for Women Victims of War - Rosa from Zagreb , the National Council for Gender Equality in Skopje, Association of SOS phoneline for women and children victims of violence in Ljubljana, with the support of Network WAVE - women against violence Europe (Vienna) and the European women's lobby (Brussels), including local women's organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina.