…IZ KRUGA – VOJVODINA hosted members of the IRIDA organization on Friday, June 26, 2020. It is an association of women with activities in the field of women’s and other human rights from Novi Sad, which, in cooperation with the SOS Women’s Center, launched the campaign Violence is always isolation. Active members in the realization of the campaign who responded to the invitation of our organization are: Aleksandra Grujic, Isidora Paklar and Velimir Milosev.
The campaign started on May 1 and will be realized by July 1, 2020. It is carried out online, through the social networks Facebook and Instagram, but also by pasting posters with SOS contacts in residential buildings and bars throughout Novi Sad. The idea of the campaign is to raise the visibility of available support systems for women with experience of violence, which is provided in the city …IZ KRUGA – VOJVODINA and SOS Women’s Center.
One of the goals of the campaign that was launched on social networks is to point out the increase in partner violence, which intensified during the state of emergency, due to the several-hour confinement of the victim in the same space with the perpetrator. That is why it is important to jointly raise awareness about this problem, in order to provide the necessary protection and support to victims of violence, but also to establish zero tolerance for partner violence – IRIDE members point out.
The original idea was to launch an online campaign during the state of emergency, due to the inability of members of the organization to visit bars and put up posters. We were thinking in the next direction, the quarantine is over, the measures have been eased, but people will still feel numerous consequences, both economic and other in nature – says Velimir.
That is why at the beginning of the campaign it was called Safe in Isolation. After the end of the state of emergency, we realized that there is no need for such a name, since women are no longer literally in isolation, but violence is always isolation – says Aleksandra.
It is important to point out that IRIDA does not have its own financial resources for the implementation of campaigns, but the overall success of the organization is achieved through dedicated work, effort, engagement, perseverance and good organization of members.
A large number of celebrities responded to the campaign by sharing photos of the posters on their Instagram and Facebook profiles, thus providing additional support. The post with the most views on Facebook is 4880, which started the campaign. Two posts have about 1,300 views, while the others have between 150 and 450 views.
Posters were placed in 51 bars across the city and the campaign was talked about on Radio Novi Sad in the Summer Afternoon show. Valuable members of IRIDE received a lot of supportive and encouraging messages for their work.
During the pasting of posters and conversations with people about the presence and intensification of violence during the state of emergency, people showed concern and wanted to help. People were very happy to respond to the campaign, they recognized the right message, they supported our work – Velimir points out.
Alexandra – I think it is important to talk about violence. When people read a poster to think aham, violence exists, I will not ignore that problem.
On the posters you can find important numbers that can help you fight violence and where you will get the necessary support. Important numbers: SOS Women’s Center: 069–1936899, 061–6412992 and …IZ KRUGA – VOJVODINA: 066–447040, 021–447040.
