Autonomous Women's Center (AWC) believes it is time to adopt the new Law on Gender Equality. We were surprised by the information that Minister Đorđević proposed the establishment of a new working group and drafting of the third version of the draft Law, particularly since the representatives of the ministry in charge of labor and social policy were involved in developing the current draft Law. Moreover, the new draft would require additional allocations from the budget of the Republic of Serbia and would inevitably delay its adoption. Therefore, AWC is requesting from Prime Minister Ana Brnabić to react and prevent further delay in the adoption of the Law, which is already significantly delayed.
"We use this opportunity to emphasize that the implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence was successfully launched in the first month. According to the data of the Republic Public Prosecutor's Office, 2,430 cases of domestic violence were examined in June 2017. Although the number of emergency measures taken under the authority of the police is not known, in almost half of the cases of domestic violence, the deputy public prosecutors filed proposals for extending emergency measures (1,212 proposals). The largest number of the proposals for extending emergency measures was adopted by the court (1,174 proposals)" - it is stated in the First Independent Report on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
The Network of Organizations for Children of Serbia (MODS) and the Women Against Violence Network sent a letter to the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs Recommendations for improving systemic measures in the area of prevention and protection against domestic violence.
Autonomous Women’s Center is addressing the High Court Council requesting, in accordance with its competencies, to examine the responsibility of the judges who acted in the criminal and family protection proceedings in cases of murder of two women and a child in the premises of the City Center for Social Work Belgrade - Novi Beograd and Rakovica departments.
The Autonomous Women's Center sent open letters today to Nebojša Stefanović, Minister of Internal Affairs and Zoran Đorđević, Minister of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs, asking them to publish a report on supervision in the City Centers for Social and Internal Control of Police Stations Novi Beograd and Rakovica.
The Coordinating Body for Gender Equality chaired by Deputy Prime Minister prof. Dr Zorana Mihajlović and the Autonomous Women's Center agreed at today's meeting on the recommendations that need to be undertaken to make the fight against violence against women more effective.
The Women Against Violence Network and the Autonomous Women's Center strongly condemn the institutions whose omissions led to the murder of O.L. by her husband M.L. in front of the Center for Social Work in Novi Beograd and are demanding the most severe punishment for professionals in these institutions!
Upon the complaint of Autonomous Women's Center, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, for the first time in Serbia, has established a multiple discrimination against a woman who has experienced domestic violence, based on her personal characteristics - gender and nationality.
In April, Autonomous Women's Center addressed the Ministry of Interior with the proposals on the implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has responded positively to the appeal of AWC.
The Autonomous Women's Center is expressing concern about the statement from last week of the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, Mladen Šarčević, for the Politika newspaper, regarding the accredited seminars provided by non-governmental organizations to employees in educational institutions. His statement that schools are "stuffed with everything and anything" is unacceptable, and the announcement that there will "be changes in this area".
On May 18th, activists of the Women Against Violence Network, coordinated by the Autonomous Women's Center, handed over 8,000 signatures to support the Deputy Prime Minister and the President of the Coordinating Body for Gender Equality, Zorana Mihajlović, for proclaiming this day a Day of Remembrance for murdered women who were victims of violence.