UNITED IN FIGHTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
25.11.2015

Great Hall of the City of Nis was too small to accommodate all the interested citizens and citizens who wanted to attend the round table on the occasion of November 25-International Day Against Violence Against Women, organized by Palilula Municipality, in cooperation with the Council for youth of the City of Nis and
Center for Social Work, Health Center of Niš, Safe house, Association of single mothers and NGOs.

The meeting was opened by Boban Džunić, president of Palilula Municipality. "United in the fight against violence is our attitude and the messages from this round table, to seriously and responsibly dedicate this issue of violence, said in his opening remarks President Džunić. Violence against women in the family and in intimate partner relationship is still on the sidelines of the general public and is not treated as a general social problem. To ensure appropriate political and social atmosphere in the system struggle against violence, it is necessary to raise public awareness through the promotion of non-violence, gender equality and non-discrimination. Our aim is to change the existing social form that adopts violence as a behavioral model, which provides a favorable environment for its occurrence - the expression where lacking social condemnation.

Violence against women is the most widely used form of violating the basic human rights. In the European Parliament at the end of 2014 were presented the results so far the largest survey on violence against women, which included more than 42,000 women. The results of this research are very worrying and indicate that one in three women in the European Union from 15th year of age, suffered some sort of physical or sexual violence.

In Serbia, since the beginning of 2015, 33 women were killed and unfortunately every day the number of victims increases. (Data of the Parliamentary Committee for Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality). According to statistics, every second woman in Serbia survived some form of violence, and it often remains invisible until a tragic outcome happens. According to Zoran Jovic, from the beginning of this year the help of the Center for Social Work in Niš was sought by 160 women - victims of domestic violence. In the fight against violence against women are included also healthcare facilities. Among them is the Health Center of Nis who, and in the words of the director of this institution, PhD doctor Milorad Jerkan, in 2012 was formed a special team. Since the beginning of the health care team help doctors asked 68 women in 2015 - 23. At the seriousness of this issue also pointed Palilula Municipality during this roundtable "Support, protection, change of attitude - together in the fight against violence against women."

That these adopted conventions, strategies, thematic conferences, are not only on paper and that in Serbia something have changed, the news that representatives of municipalities and cities that have adopted the principles of gender responsive budgeting, signed in the Government of Serbia, on 24 November, the Declaration for promotion gender equality at the local level, which will lead to reduction of gender inequalities and women's economic empowerment. With this will from 2016, as it was announced by Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Zoran Mihajlovic, the Republic budget and budgets of local governments will begin with introducing gender budgeting.

And let us remind ourselves, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is selected November 25th, in memory of the Mirabel sisters who were brutally murdered in the Dominican Republic in 1960 just because they are fighting for democracy and justice. United Nations General Assembly in its session of December 17, 1999, officially declared November 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, resolution 54/134 and following the Convention on the elimination of violence against women from in 1993. year. On this day, international organizations, civil society organizations and representatives of local communities organize activities that remind the public that violence against women is still a reality which must be opposed and publicly condemned. Wearing white ribbons people expressed support for the fight against rape, sexual harassment and violence against women.

"Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal relations of social power between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women. Violence against women is one of the crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared with men. Violence against women is an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace "(The definition of violence against women, according to the documents of the United Nations)