The first set of postcards to remind authorities of the promises made in the previous phase of the campaign I sign, was sent to decision-makers at the national level yesterday. Autonomous Women's Center and partner organizations in Nis, Vranje, Novi Sad, Kikinda, Uzice and Krusevac will continue to call for the responsibility of decision-makers at national and local level in relation to the promised changes to the law and the situation in the field of protection of women from violence.
The second phase of the campaign "I sign", dedicated to the full implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, started today in Serbia. Billboards and city-lights on the bus stations in Belgrade, as well as billboards in Niš, Novi Sad, Kruševac, Kikinda, Vranje and Užice, marked the continuation of the campaign and pointed out which messages we want to send.
The report, created by the platform “prEUgovor”, is a result of scrupulous monitoring of the progress made in the areas related to obligations contained in political criteria and chapters 23 and 24, both in terms of legislative changes and the implementation of adopted legislation. It covers developments from September 2013 to April 2014 and its main aim is to draw attention to major concerns related to targeted areas.
Representatives of Autonomous Women’s Center and partner organizations from Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Austria and Macedonia were preparing a join proposal for unique administrative database on GBV, at the seminar organized on 23-24 April 2014, by partner CSO Association SOS helpline.
Andorra became the 10th member state to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, triggering the entry into force on 1 August 2014. This ratification marks a new era in the promotion and protection of women’s human rights in Europe and beyond!
The group of non-governmental organizations addressed the Open Letter to the public and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, regarding the amendments to the series of laws which entered parliamentary procedure as matters of urgency, without public debate or consultations with professional community, demanding the urgent withdrawal of laws from procedure.
Autonomous Women’s Center, Network Women against Violence and Network for European Women’s Lobby have organized the round table on the position of victims of rape and other sexual offenses in Serbia. The aim of the round table was to consider the existing legislation and practice in relation to the criminal offenses against sexual freedom and the necessity of their compliance with the standards prescribed by the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Round table was organized within the European campaign “Act against Rape! Use the Istanbul Convention!” which is implemented by the European Women’s Lobby in cooperation with the Council of Europe in 33 member states of the Council of Europe.
Autonomous Women’s Center organized a two-day international conference “How the women’s movement influenced government policy” to mark 20th work anniversary. The conference was attended by 30 women's organizations from the region and 47 organizations from Serbia, as well as over 200 participants from state institutions and other organizations.
10/11/2013, Belgrade
Autonomous Women’s Center, in the partnership with 28 women’s organizations from Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Serbia has organized the International Conference dedicated to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. At the Conference, all representatives of all the civil society organizations, which shares human rights values, were invited to sign Declaration of the civil society organizations on preventing violence against women.
Government delegation of the Republic of Serbia presented its Second and Third periodic report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination of women (CEDAW), at the 55th session of the UN Committee for elimination of all forms of discrimination of women, which was held on July 18th, 2013 in Geneva. Government representatives spoke about legislative and institutional measures conducted in Serbia with the aim to improve the position of women in the country.
