As part of the project "Introduction of a justice model focused on citizens by strengthening prevention and protection in cases of gender-based violence", which is implemented by the Autonomous Women's Center, with the support of the "Justice for All" project of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), research was carried out with the aim overview of the current situation in the area of respect for the minimal rights of the injured within the criminal-legal protection of victims of gender-based violence.
The Ministry of Family Care and Demography held a public hearing on the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Financial Support for Families with Children from July 15 to August 5, 2024. The Autonomous Women's Center sent suggestions on the proposed supplements and amendments.
The Autonomous Women's Center welcomes the report "Prostitution and violence against women and girls" by the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Mrs. Reem Alsalem, which was presented at the 56th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The AWC sent the report to numerous ministries, independent bodies and committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia that oversee human rights, with the hope that they will take into consideration the recommendations that the Special Rapporteur makes to the states.
During the public hearing on the Action Plan Proposal for the period 2024-2026 for the implementation of the Strategy for the creation of a stimulating environment for the development of the civil sector in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2022-2030, on behalf of women's organizations, the Network of Women Against Violence sent an Open Letter to the Minister, to the Sector for Cooperation with Civil Society and to the Council for the Creation of an Encouraging Environment for the Development of Civil Society. The immediate reason for this is serious security threats to women from organizations in the south of Serbia.
Seven years after the start of the implementation of the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence, a central data record has not yet been established, nor is there a publicly available report that integrates data from different sources. The Autonomous Women's Center has been collecting data and preparing reports since the beginning of the implementation of the Law. In 2023, 28,413 incidents of domestic violence were registered, the most in the period 2018-2022. Men were the most frequent perpetrators of domestic violence (82.8%), and among the victims, women were dominantly represented (71.8%).
Every third resident of Serbia has significant mental disorders, but despite this, Serbia does not have enough resources for adequate care of the nation's mental health. The number of children and young people with behavioral problems is increasing, but the capacity of the social protection system to respond to this problem is decreasing. There are not enough psychologists or social workers, it is necessary to reorganize the health and social protection system, if society intends to really oppose the growing violence.
On the occasion of June 19, the International Day of Combating Sexual Violence in Conflicts, Women in Black and the Autonomous Women's Center are organizing a protest in mourning and silence "We remember women raped in war", on June 19, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Republic Square in Belgrade.
At the end of May, the Autonomous Women's Center, together with Women in Black and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, launched a mini-campaign with the aim of raising awareness of the disadvantageous position of women who survived sexual violence during the wars of the 1990s and the request that they be recognized as civilian victims of war.
The period covered by this Report – from November 2023 to April 2024 – was marked by the extraordinary parliamentary and local elections, which caused the Government to spend this entire time in a technical mandate. As Serbia had three parliamentary elections in the last five years, such a situation didn’t seem unusual.
From May 24 to 26, the Autonomous Women's Center (AWC) held a seminar on the topic of Global challenges of applying the concept of "parental alienation" in divorce proceedings, decisions on custody, and contact of the child with the parent in the case of violence against women and children. The seminar was held in Belgrade and was attended by 18 representatives of women's organizations from Serbia, who had the opportunity to learn about the topic through presentations and exchange of experiences with lecturers and prosecutors of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade.
