One in 3 women in Serbia suffered violence: In 10 years, 350 women killed, 470 children lost mothers

Photo illustration: Telegraf/Pixabay

Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality Professor Dr. Zorana Mihajlovic has told Happy TV that violence against women and girls exists everywhere in the world, including in Serbia, and that combating it should be a common goal shared by every individual.

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She said that there is a good legal framework, that there is cooperation between centers for social protection, the police, the judiciary, but that it is necessary for all of us to be involved in that fight.

"I represented Serbia in Paris at the biggest event in the world, the international forum 'The Generation Equality'. Our country is recognized because we passed the Law on Gender Sensitive Language, we have a gender responsible budget, but we need to change the stereotypes that exist in our country, to teach children in kindergartens that violence is not acceptable. Now we have a story about Petnica (research station) and its former director who is appearing on TV channels defending himself, and we're watching that instead of thinking about the victims. As far as I'm concerned the former Petnica director is also responsible. Petnica is an important scientific institution, young people go there and represent Serbia around the world. I think it should not and cannot be an NGO, the state should participate. Just like the (acting) school of Mika Aleksix was registered as an entrepreneurial shop for production of films, while they were engaged in education of young people. That must not be possible," said Mihajlovic.

She said that according to research, one in three women in Serbia has suffered some form of violence and that it was considered a normal occurrence.

"We must all fight together against all types of violence, because that leaves consequences on the lives of those women. We have had an increase in the number of reports in the past ten years, but we still need to empower everyone to report violence. In ten years, 350 women were murdered and 470 children were left without their mothers. It is not a sin to report violence, it is a sin to be its perpetrator," she said.

(Telegraf.rs)