The Autonomous Women's Center participated, at the invitation of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, in the first meeting for the establishment of social dialogue on the state of gender equality in the Republic of Serbia. AWC representative, Tanja Ignjatović, presented general proposals regarding the work on amendments to laws and strategies in this area.
The Autonomous Women's Center is proud of the young women who have empowered themselves and reported the rape and sexual abuse that happened to them by a person in whom they had absolute confidence, who was there to teach and support them.
The Autonomous Women's Center addressed the UN agencies in Serbia, pointing out that their participation in supporting the development of a new strategic document for preventing and combating violence against women in Serbia does not correspond to key international agreements, assessments, concluding observations and recommendations received by the Republic of Serbia.
The AWC addressed the competent government bodies and ministries with a proposal to return them to public debate and / or start drafting amendments to draft laws and strategies (including action plans) that have not been finalized (and should have been) in the period from 2017 –2020.
The aim of this meeting is to improve the awareness of representatives of women's organizations from the network "Women Against Violence" on the main elements of the AP for Chapter 19 to conduct a critical analysis of its content, as well as to consider the possibility of involving women's organizations in implementing and monitoring the activities of the AP for Chapter 19 and enhancing the gender dimensions of future legal and strategic changes.
The Autonomous Women's Center and Women in Black from Belgrade, with the support of the Anima Women's Association from Đulići (BH), are organizing a street action, a vigil in mourning and in silence, on December 6, 2020 from 1 pm to 2 pm, in Republic Square, under the name "Stop Killing Women". As part of this protest, a stage action "Women's lives matter" will be performed.
The aim of this expert meeting was to remind the participants how an autonomous shelter for women with experience of violence was created and what the (service) autonomous women’s houses means i.e., how it differs from “safe houses” and / or shelters in the public sector, as well as to consider the conditions and obstacles for this service to be provided within specialized women's organizations, to be accessible, geographically well represented and well provided in Serbia.
The objectives of the Sub-Regional Experts’ Meeting for South East Europe were to identify positive experiences, but also to highlight the lessons learned, shortcomings and challenges facing the region when it comes to providing quality and accessible multisectoral services for women and girls who have survived gender-based violence in order for the OSCE to develop recommendations to member states for improving access to and the quality of multisectoral services. The participants in the expert round table will make recommendations, which will be discussed at the final OSCE plenary expert meeting.
The Network of Western Balkans Women's Organizations draws the attention of the decision makers on the importance of state funding for specialized women's NGOs, both in crisis and in regular circumstances, because they provide services that are lacking in a comprehensive system of protection and support for women survivors of violence.
On the occasion of the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women, AVON, as part of the Say NO to Violence Against Women campaign, called on the media to publish the AWC SOS telephone number on their front pages that day, to which four dailies responded.