Konstrakta, Tanja Bošković, Tamara Dragićević, Bojana Vunturišević, Jelena Stupljanin, Sajsi and other brave women carry red handbags and invite companies and citizens to support the AWC Fund. It is a fund that AWC uses to pay urgent expenses for women who are in a situation of violence: medical examinations, court fees, emergency accommodation, free legal aid, food, hygiene or textbooks for children, payment of transportation costs for going to institutions, etc.
The Autonomous Women's Center, symbolically on International Women's Day, is launching an important campaign that invites citizens to join the fight against abuse and unauthorized sharing of intimate photos and videos. Under the slogan "Swear to the law", the campaign carries a strong message and directly invites you to sign the petition, which has a clear goal - passing a law that qualifies the unauthorized sharing of intimate content as a criminal offense.
The Autonomous Women's Center and the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office insisted that the employment model for women who survived domestic violence be applied to all Belgrade municipalities. In 2023, 276 victims with the experience of violence were referred to this employment model. Of that, the Autonomous Women's Center, with the consent of women who survived violence and were in need of employment, referred 17.1% of women. Of that number, 34% of women got a job, 9% changed jobs, and 8% retrained for other new occupations.
We, the undersigned civil society organizations, draw attention to the inadmissible violation of the human rights of all citizens of Serbia in the entire electoral process carried out in Serbia, from the moment of the announcement of extraordinary parliamentary and local elections on November 1, 2023, through the electoral actions of the Republic Electoral Board and the City Electoral Board for the city of Belgrade that followed and culminated in the very election day of December 17, 2023.
In cooperation with organizations from the Network of Women Against Violence and the Network for the European Women's Lobby in Serbia, the Autonomous Women's Center conducted a campaign on social networks with the slogan #missedopportunities. The goal of the campaign was to point out what the previous Government and the National Assembly could have done, but failed to do, in order to ensure better support and protection for women who have experienced violence, but also for children who have witnessed violence. Women's organizations called on the incoming Government and the new MPs to provide sufficient resources, appropriate laws and policies for the support and protection of women and children from violence, to which they are entitled in accordance with the international standards adopted by Serbia.
As one of the organizations supported by the Swedish Foundation Kvinna till Kvinna in Serbia, the Autonomous Women's Center participated in the annual presentation of activities within the project "Participation and Democracy in Serbia - Women's Rights in Practice". The event was organized by ROZA from Zrenjanin in Kaštel Ečka, and the main topic was women's economic and labor rights.
On the occasion of International Human Rights Day and marking 30 years of activities of the Autonomous Women's Center in Belgrade, an expert meeting was held with representatives of organizations from the Women Against Violence Network and the European Women's Lobby Network in Serbia. The meeting discussed the new Directive on the prevention of violence against women and domestic violence, as well as the amendments to Directive 2012/29/EU on minimum standards for victims of crimes. Representatives of the Center for Women's Rights from Podgorica also participated in the meeting.
We celebrated 30 years of the Autonomous Women’s Center on International Human Right’s Day, and were joined by friends, colleagues, associates, feminist sisters and fellow fighters from near and far! Thank you for joining us, thank you for meeting with us, for all the hugs and kind words.
Representatives of the Autonomous Women’s Center took part in a regional conference “Empowering a Feminist Approach to Transgenerational Trauma – Perspectives of women who have survived sexual violence in war” held in Sarajevo, and spoke on a panel on regional activism and solidarity against sexual violence in war.
The Autonomous Women’s Center and Dah Theater from Belgrade, with the support of Anima from Dulic, are organizing a street action on Wednesday, December 6th 2023, from noon to 1 pm, at the Republic Square, in order to call on everyone who knows women living in violence to encourage them to contact women’s organizations that provide help and support.
