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16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM
AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 2005
 This
year as previous in our country is being conducted
a campaign entitled
16
days of
activism
against
violence against women.
Campaign
begins on International Day
Against Violence Against Women
and it ends on International Human Rights Day.
November
25th
is declared International Day Against Violence Against Women by
UN
no sooner than
1999. Feminists
of
Latin America
done this in
1981,
and
feminists
of North
America
have
linked up November
25th
and December 10th
into 16
days of activism
in 1991
.
 According
to United Nations` resolution, commemoration of International Day
Against Violence Against Women is set on November
25th,
the day when Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered
assassination of political activists, the Mirabel sisters -Patria,
Minerva and Maria Teresa in
1960.
 Experts
consider
that
violence traumas effects personal and family life more than any other
form of repression.
According to year-to-date research of the World Health Organization,
every sixth woman in world is a victim
of
domestic violence, and in some countries even every second or every
third.
Research conducted in ten countries had shown
that a
great number of women do not report violence
at
all,
and
that every fifth woman doesn't even talk about it.
Between 4 and 12 per cent of women stated that they were beaten by their
spouses or partners while they were gravid.
Moreover,
the
research had shown that the victims of domestic violence suffer from
health problems twice more often then other women. Although it is a global
problem, violence is more frequent in populations with lower educational
level in poor countries.
According to Victimology Society of Serbia research,
almost
every second (female) examinee have experienced some form of
mental
violence
and every third physical
violence as well.
 Aim
of campaign entitled
16
days of
activism against violence against women
is
making problem of domestic violence visible,
which
is the most often form of women rights violation.
Moreover, it is
an appeal to authorities for
developing efficient mechanisms for overcoming violence against women.
 In
Negotin,
domestic violence victims can refer directly to Legal Aid Office at the
Committee for Human Rights Negotin.
The
most common is physical violence against women,
although it is followed by both emotional and economic violence.
Violence is most often performed by male,
spouse,
former or present, partner
in term
of unwedded spouse.
Middle
aged women, who suffer the violence even for twenty years, come to the
Office most frequently. Most of them is unemployed and it complicates
overcoming domestic violence issue.
Specificity
of this issue is the fact that it remains
un-denounced in great
number of cases.
In fact,
approximately
78
per
cent of women refer to no one for help.
Average
enduring of domestic violence is 12 years, before a woman denounce
violator.
 Campaign
16
days of
activism
against violence against women,
this
year carrying a message
Red
card
for violators.
Measures
for
protection from domestic violence exist,
was
dedicated for promotion measures for protection from domestic violence
within the new Family Law of Republic of Serbia.
Campaign was carried out by women's NGOs
in 50 towns in Serbia,
with
the support of various media,
female
and male activists.
Activities in Negotin started with delivering TV spot and radio jingle
to Independent Television Negotin (member of ANEM)
and
RTV "Krajina" Negotin,
which
were broadcasted on this media all along the campaign duration.
Action
of leaflets distribution and placarding downtown
was carried out
with recording by
both televisions.
Both
televisions interviewed
Stanković Svetlana,
Committee for Human Rights Negotin lawyer,
as
coordinator of action in Negotin, and broadcasted the interview along
with the shot of
lplacarding
and
leaflets distribution.
The
campaign ended on December
10th,
with International Human Rights Day commemoration through the action
"Tree
of Life".
After
completion of both actions, a press conference was held, ending campaign
in Negotin.
After
action TV broadcast, invigorated women are referring to Legal Aid Office
for
protection of their rights in
greater number.
 We
expressed gratitude in our name and in the name of Women Autonomous
Center Belgrade,
organizer of this year campaign,
to
Independent Television Negotin and Television
Krajina Negotin
for
media sponsorship in the campaign.
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