16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Launched in Macedonia

25 November 2005

Several women NGOs from Skopje, in partnership with government ministries, launched the Don�t Hide It, Report it campaign earlier today, organized under the auspices of the 16 Days of Activism global campaign.

The campaign is a result of the mutual aims of the relevant governmental institutions and NGOs in the field of fight against family violence. The campaign will be implemented by the Zdruzenska Akcija from Skopje, in cooperation with ESEM (Association for Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women>, the National SOS Line operated by Organization of Women of Skopje, the �Hope� Crisis Centre, the Shelter Centre, Government Ministries of Interior, Health and Labour and Social Policy.

At the press conference organized today, the campaign was presented by Borko Markovski, the Head of the Central Police Services Department with the Ministry of the Interior; Aco Janevski, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy; Fimka Tozija from the Department of Physical Injuries and Violence at the Ministry of Health; Divna Zmejkovska from the National SOS Line; Jasminka Friscik from ESEM; and Marija Savovska, President of Zdruzenska Akcija.

Under the auspices of the Campaing, several activities will be implemented, directed at the professional structures involved in the process of finding solutions to this problem, as well as to raise the public awareness on this issue, especially with the victims of violence in the family.

Promotion of the procedures and protocols for action of the actors in the system for prevention of violence in the family, developed on the basis of a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to the problem of family violence.

Now that the family violence has been included in the legislation, protocols and procedures are needed for proper action in cases of reported family violence. With that goal in mind, a national round-table discussion will be held, together with seven local discussions, will be organized. These meetings will present the procedures developed by the working group made of representatives of the relevant ministries and the NGOs that provide services for the victims of family violence.

Media Campaign designed to increase the visibility of the Family Violence Problem
Family violence remains a real problem in Macedonia. It is of utmost importance to introduce the available system of protection to the victims and to encourage them to use those systems, including the reporting of family violence to the authorities, experts� assistance and shelter for the victims. The media campaign will include a TV advertisement, as well as distribution of posters and leaflets.