“Even when women who have survived violence perceive the media as being supportive, the media must still be even more sensitive and aware of their responsibility when reporting about violence against women and domestic violence”, Tanja Ignjatovic, from the Autonomous Women’s Center said on the “How Media Covers Domestic Violence” panel, organized at the UNS Press Center by the weekly magazine “Vreme”.
The Autonomous Women’s Center is honored to call on youth who support human rights to participate and compete for an award for best youth video in raising consciousness about violence against women. The Autonomous Women’s Center encourages young people between 18 and 25 years old, youth organizations, (film and arts) schools and university departments focused on media, as well as all other interested young people, to participate in this call. The main goal of this call is to raise awareness about violence against women and to encourage women and young women who are surviving violence to seek help and support.
"There is no apology to the victims and families, no compensation, no personal nor professional responsibility", said the representative of the Autonomous Women's Center, Tanja Ignjatović, during the press conference organized by the Ombudsperson on the occasion of the presentation of failures found in the work of relevant institutions in 12 out of 14 cases of killings of women in Serbia. According to the Special report of the Ombudsperson, in these 12 cases, including mass murder in Zitiste, it was found that the institutions had knowledge of the existence of violence against women in the family, but they did not not react properly or didn't act at all.
After a meeting of ministers and Prime Minister within the technical government, the systemic measures were announced against different types of violence faced by Serbian society – domestic violence, sexual offences, peer violence, hooliganism, etc. Although it is difficult to imagine that the “one package” of measures can solve all types of violence, which may have the same resources and similar manifestations, but make a specific problem, PM announced changes of the penal legislation and its harmonization with the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, the increase in the minimum penalties for offences of sexual violence, the new Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (i.e. organizational), the adoption of the Law on Free Legal Aid, specialization of experts and their better mutual cooperation.
Television news magazine "Victim has a female face" (Žrtva ima žensko lice), which was broadcast on Serbian public national television RTS, presents professional and responsible media reporting on violence against women and current situation in this field in Serbia.
Women's Platform for the Development of Serbia 2014-2020 organized a meeting with female MPs, representatives of the Women's Parliamentary Network, in order to monitor and assess the progress in implementing the measures to achieve the rule of law and non-discrimination.
Autonomous Women's Center has prepared a Shadow Report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (NON) Protection of children in Serbia.
After the CEDAW Comitee had recognized specific concerns in its Concluding observations on the Second and Third periodic report, the Republic of Serbia submitted its response on this point. Regarding this document, Autonomous Women's Center submitted its views to the CEDAW Committee.
On 24th of June, representatives of Autonomous Women's Center participated in an expert meeting on defining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for institutional conduct in cases of gender based violence in crisis situations. The meeting was organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Serbia, which has prepared the preliminary draft National Standard Operating Procedures for Prevention of and Response to Gender Based Violence in Crisis Situations, in cooperation with the Republic Institute for Social Protection.
Ministry of Interior accepted the majority of comments that Autonomous Women's Center had submitted to the Draft Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection. AWC's proposals were related to the harmonization of the draft Law with the Council of Europe Convention on Violence against Women in terms of recognizing gender based violence as a form of persecution and a basis for subsidiary protection, as well as developing gender-sensitive reception procedures and support services for asylum-seekers.
