The joint action of the whole society is necessary to tackle the problem of violence against women, it was stated at the beginning of the campaign “16 Days of Activism”.

From November 25 to December 10, branded buses will circulate in the streets of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac, and informative materials will be posted in the pedestrian zones that discuss the nature of sexual violence and the dimensions of violence against women in our society, but also call for sanctification and action.

All of these activities are part of a global campaign implemented jointly in Serbia by the United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, the Government of Serbia’s Gender Equality Coordination Body and the Delegation of the European Union.

The campaign calls for the elimination of all types of violence against women and represents an opportunity to raise awareness and engage citizens through various types of activities.

The United Nations commemorates its activities with the slogan “Orange the World” and this year’s theme is “Generation Equality Stands Against Rape”.

Today, the first branded bus has taken to the streets of Belgrade, and on the sides of buses, there are warning information about the presence of this negative phenomenon in society.

“It is disturbing that more than two-thirds of women think that violence is common in their communities. It is not a cultural thing but a crime and we need to fight these numbers together and prove that we are a caring community. As a man, I feel a double duty and responsibility to advocate for this subject, and as EU representative in Serbia, I assure you that the European Union will continue to combat gender-based violence,” said Ambassador Sem Fabrizi, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia.

“In the last 11 years, 320 women have lost their lives in Serbia simply because they are women. I think that broader social action is needed, that this goes beyond institutions, that this is not just a matter of law, social services, the Ministry of the Interior or the Prosecutor’s Office. There is a high level of stereotype in our society and I think that more education is needed, sometimes it cannot be as effective when we are already adults, it has to start from a small age, from the family, “said the Deputy Prime Minister and Chair of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality, Zorana Mihajlovic.

“1.7 million, or 62% of women in Serbia say they have experienced sexual harassment, persecution or some form of violence. In order to initiate public debate on this issue, we wanted to encourage our fellow citizens to reflect on their loved ones when they see the frightening statistics on the violence that women in our society are experiencing publicly or in silence. Violence against women, no matter where it took place, is not a private matter, but a problem for the whole society, ”said UN Women Program Coordinator Jelena Sekulic Nedeljkovic.

This campaign is part of the project “Key Steps to Gender Equality” implemented by UN Women in cooperation with the Coordination Body for Gender Equality of the Republic of Serbia, with the financial support of the European Union.

The 16 Days of Activism campaign was initiated in 1991 by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University. Each year, this event begins on November 25th on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and runs through December 10th International Human Rights Day. By symbolically linking the two dates, it is emphasized that violence against women is the most extreme form of violation of women’s human rights.