The FemPlatz Association of Citizens and over 70 partner organizations, networks and individuals are demanding an urgent response and prevention of femicide in Serbia.
In the period from March 21 until today, we learned from the media that four women were killed. According to media reports, a woman was killed by a neighbour in Zajecar the day before yesterday after several years of constant harassment, which she reported to the authorities several times. A woman from Vranje died at the hospital after her husband stabbed her, and two women from Belgrade and Smederevska Palanka were killed by their sons.1 During the same period, the media reported at least seven attempts at femicide and violence against women. While all this is happening, the institutions responsible for preventing and combating violence against women are not reacting or addressing the disturbed public.
It is especially worrying that in the mentioned cases, even after the report of violence, the competent institutions did not ensure the protection and safety of these women. A large number of murders of women were not prevented due to the lack of timely and efficient reaction of the institutions of the system, from untimely reaction to reports of violence, to reduction of danger and failure to consider the risk of endangering the safety of the victim.
Despite numerous recommendations from international human rights bodies and women’s NGOs, there are still no publicly available statistics on the prevalence of femicide in Serbia. On the other hand, the use of currently available protection mechanisms in an adequate and consistent manner would significantly improve the protection of women from violence and prevent a large number of femicides. The lack of effective prevention of femicide, as the most extreme manifestation of violence, sends a message every day to women that their lives are less valuable.
We demand from the institutions responsible for the prevention and protection of women from violence to urgently react to the latest cases of femicide, investigate and explain to the public possible omissions and lack of effective response to previous reports of violence and state precise steps for further prevention of femicide. Obligations, standards, and plans to prevent gender-based violence against women and prevent femicide exist, but effective action is needed, not declarative commitment.
Almost any femicide could have been prevented. And every institution has a responsibility and obligation to work on the prevention of femicide.
The request is signed by:
1. FemPlatz Citizens’ Association
2. Academy of Women’s Leadership
3. Alternative centre for girls
4. Athens
5. Belgrade Center for Human Rights
6. Bibija Roma Women’s Center
7. OFFICES
8. Center of modern skills
9. Vrdničak Center
10. Center for Biopolitical Education
11. Center for Cultural Decontamination
12. Center for Cultural Decontamination
13. Women’s Support Center
14. Center for the Rights of the Child
15. Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities
16. Center for Women’s Studies
17. To be known!
18. Feminist Initiative Against Sexual Violence I Believe You
19. FEMIX
20. Foundation BFPE for Responsible Society
21. Women’s Forum Prijepolje
22. Gender knowledge hub
23. Civic Initiatives
24. IAN International Aid Network
25. Impulse Tutin
26. Economic and Social Rights Initiative – A11
27. MDRI-S Initiative for the Rights of Persons with Mental Disabilities
28. From the Kragujevac circle
29. From the circle of Vojvodina
30. TIRV Wave Collective
31. Labris – an organization for lesbian human rights
32. Moms are the law
33. SOS Vojvodina Network
34. Network of Women Against Violence
35. Informal group Spaces
36. Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia
37. NGO Astra
38. NGO CETRA
39. Youth Center Black House 13
39. Rime Zaječar
41. Roma Daje
42. Roma Women’s Network of the Republic of Serbia
43. Counseling for the fight against domestic violence
44. The power of Amity’s friendship
45. SOS Women’s Center
46. Team of the Society for the Development of Creativity from Aleksinac
47. Association ALTERO – Association for personal training, education, development and empowerment
48. CROCODILE ASSOCIATION
49. Association of Roma Women Osvit
50. Peščanik Women’s Association
51. UG Libero
52. Uzice Center for the Rights of the Child
53. Victimology Society of Serbia
54. YUCOM – Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights
55. YUROM Center
56. Women of the south of Pirot
57. Women’s Platform for Development of Serbia
58. Women’s solidarity
59. Women’s Center Uzice
60. Women’s Research Center for Education and Communication
61. Women’s Association of the Kolubara District
Individuals:
1. Aleksandra Galonja
2. Ana Isaković
3. Biljana Maletin
4. Dr Margareta Bašaragin
5. Jelena Jaćimović
6. Ksenija Forca
7. Ljiljana Stevković
8. Ljupka Mihajlovska
9. Marina Pančić
10. Melanija Lojpur
11. Olivera Ilkić
12. Tatjana Macura
13. Vera Kurtić
14. Zorica Rašković
