Project duration: June 2025 – June 2026

Project goal: General support to the Autonomous Women's Center in implementing activities from the Strategic Plan.

Key activities/outputs:

1. Women survivors of violence empowered to live free of violence - Providing psychosocial support and legal aid to women who survived violence; Strengthening knowledge, cooperation and wellbeing of AWC’s service providers; Promoting AWC’s support services.

2. Capacities of women’s movement built and awareness of media and youth regarding violence against women raised - joint advocacy activities, project partnerships, training program with WCSOs at local, regional or international level; Cooperation with media; Raising awareness on different forms of on gender-based violence (GBV) among young people.

3. Institutional framework for the protection of women from violence improved in line with international high standards and obligations - reporting regarding monitoring of reforms and implementation of international standards in relation to prevention, protection and suppression of violence against women; submitting policy proposal and proposals for the amendments of the law; Developing new training programs for professionals in institutions and conducting at least trainings, meetings, consultations and support for professionals in institutions, CSO’s and students from relevant professions.

4. AWC’s programme, financial and political autonomy and sustainability strengthened.

Donor: European Commission

Project duration: March 2025 – February 2027

Partner organizations: Alternative Girls’ Center Kruševac, Women’s Center Užice, ROZA – Association for Women’s Labor Rights Zrenjanin, and KOKORO Association Bor

Project goal: The overall goal of the project is to improve the institutional response to sexual harassment in vocational secondary education, including professional practice and the dual education system, as well as to raise awareness of this issue among students, teachers, employers, decision-makers, and the broader public. The primary target group is vocational secondary school students aged 14 to 19, particularly girls, with a specific focus on students participating in the dual education system.

Project results:

• Raising awareness among students about sexual harassment and improving their capacity to recognize this form of violence and seek help and support. Improved laws and procedures.
• Increasing the capacity of teachers in vocational secondary education and instructors involved in the dual education system to create responsible and reliable prevention and protection mechanisms within the educational system, which could significantly enhance the long-term safety of all students.
• Bringing the sensitive topic of sexual harassment of young people into public discourse and creating space for a critical and gender-sensitive approach to this issue.

Donor: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and medica mondiale

Project duration: June 2024 – August 2027

Partner organizations: medica Zenica, Vive Žene (Bosnia and Hercegovina), medica Gjakova, Kosova Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (Kosovo), Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Women in Black (Serbia)

Project goal: Creating a culture of recognition and reconciliation in the Western Balkans for women survivors of war related SGBV to live in dignity and free from violence

Outcomes of the project:

• The topic of war related SGBV is reflected in political debates and curricula
• Improved laws and procedures for compensation mechanisms
• Improved court procedures
• Likeminded feminist women's organisations are recognised as experts in political national and regional reconciliation processes

Impact: Achieving comprehensive access to quality services for gender-based violence (GBV) survivors in the Western Balkans (WB), in alignment with the Istanbul Convention (IC).

Partner organizations: Albanian Women’s Empowerment Network and Gender Alliance for Development Centre (Albania), Kosovo Women’s Network (Kosovo), United Women Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina), National Network against Violence against Women (North Macedonia), Women’s Rights Centre (Montenegro).

Main activities:

Capacity Building for Professionals

• Training and Coaching professionals in institutions and CSOs in each Western Balkans (WB) country; Providing on-the-job coaching for public and private professionals in each WB country.
• Conduct end-line analysis of beneficiary satisfaction with social work and referral mechanism services in each country.

Service Provision for GBV Survivors

• Provide SOS helpline counselling services.
• Offer free legal aid services.
• Deliver psychological support services through face-to-face sessions.

Grants and Licensing

• Implement sub-granting schemes for specialized service providers.
• Develop a regional policy brief for licensing specialized services for GBV and domestic violence (VAW/DV).
• Analyse the effectiveness of legal and psychological support and femicide cases.

Research, Monitoring, and Advocacy

• Analysis of the 2023 state budget support to service providers, especially Women’s Civil Society Organizations’ specialized services for survivors of GBV (each partner) and research costing GBV services.
• Prepare monitoring reports on the implementation of legal frameworks, GREVIO recommendations, and policy obligations.

Awareness Campaigns and Advocacy

• Launch campaigns against GBV, promoting research findings and recommendations.
• Conduct advocacy meetings with decision-makers and parliamentarians.
• Forge partnerships with media outlets to raise awareness about GBV issues and rehabilitation services.

Networking and Regional Collaboration

• Joint meetings and activities
• Facilitate support for GBV cases across borders

Project goals: Contribution to the empowerment of women with the experience of violence in a partner relationship / family to exercise their rights, to protect themselves and recover from violence, as well as to achieve economic independence.

 Key activities:

 1. Provision of standard, continuous high-quality support: psycho-social support by SOS phone, "face-to-face" consultations, answering e-mail messages; free legal support by phone and "face to face", writing submissions and representation before the court;

 2. Economic empowerment of women: assistance to women with the experience of violence in realizing their right to material assistance, information and mediation in employment, training to improve skills and knowledge, provision of urgent financial assistance to meet needs (medical examinations, necessary accommodation, transport, food, coverage of court costs).

Project goal: Increased priority of women’s human rights by governments in the EU accession process through the participation of women’s organizations.

Key activities / results

1. Monitoring of the application of international standards by the AWC: Preparation of reports for GREVIO first thematic cycle; Preparation of reports for the Committee of the Parties regarding the process of monitoring GREVIO recommendations; Preparation of reports to the UN CEDPW Committee; Preparation of comments related to the implementation of recommendations of other international bodies related to issues of women's rights, gender equality and protection against violence.

2. Proposals for policies and amendments to laws, through dialogue with decision-makers, with the active participation of the media, citizen associations and the public - in the areas of: non-discrimination and gender equality; suppression and prevention of violence against women; social protection and support for women and children who have experienced violence; educational policy related to issues of gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence; promotion and protection of sexual and reproductive rights and health of women and girls;

3. Monitoring reforms from Chapter 23 and Chapter 19 - in partnership with the prEUgovor coalition and other organizations: Monitoring the implementation of the AP for Chapter 23, preparation of annexes for semi-annual Alarm reports, presentation of reports to competent decision makers, the EU Delegation in Serbia, representatives of embassies of EU member states, the media and the public; Monitoring the implementation of AP for chapter 19 (reports and announcements);

4. Strengthening the internal capacities of AWC members (especially the consulting team): Development of knowledge of the consulting team, improvement of documentation that regulates the procedure, organization of supervision and training against "burnout".

Donor: European Commission

Project duration: March 2023 – February 2025

Project objective: Advocating for international human rights standards in policies and practices in Serbia, on two related topics: 1) in cases of murder of women and protection of the rights of their underage children and 2) in the protection of the rights of women and children from the legalization of the concept of "parental alienation"; developing a more favorable social climate, as well as an institutional and non-institutional support system for women victims/survivors and their children.

Expected results:

1. Strengthened capacities of at least 15 WCSOs from Serbia for documenting, reporting and advocating on two topics - protection of underage children of mothers femicide victims and prevention of legalization of the concept of “parental alienation”.

2. At least two draft amendments to laws and/or public policies written and submitted; raised awareness of 100 decision-makers on the necessary legal changes and policymaking to protect the rights of women, GBV victims and their children in institutional procedures.

3. Raised awareness of 10,000 citizens about the problems and needs of women victims/survivors and their children through increasing media visibility of the two topics and establishing a femicide memorial.

4. Two alternative reports (shadow reports) for the CEDAW Committee and the GREVIO expert group written.

Donor: Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation

Project duration: October 2022–December 2025

Project goal: General support to the Autonomous Women's Center in implementing activities from the Strategic Plan.

Key activities / results:

1. Maintaining the continuity and quality of a wide range of support activities for women who have experienced gender-based violence, especially in the area of economic empowerment. Support will be provided to at least 900 women per year.

2. Better information for women and greater visibility of AWC services. The link with information for women's self-education will be improved, as well as the link with content related to financial, social assistance, and economic empowerment of women.

3. Strengthening the capacity of AWC members (knowledge, skills, connections and finances) for direct support to women.