Ivana Zelic, a coordinator of the SOS service of …IZ KRUGA – VOJVODINA, talked at the conference Support for Victims of Gender-based Violence – Improvement of Comprehensive Protection on December 6, 2021. in Novi Sad. Provincial Protector of Citizens – ombudsman who is coordinating the network Zivot bez nasilja (Life without Violence) organized the conference. The network Zivot bez nasilja assembles its members that deal with domestic violence each year to educate, improve the work of institutions and experience exchange.
Participants in the conference spoke about improving the normative and strategic framework of gender equality and prevention of gender-based and domestic violence, violence against older women, multiple discriminated women, media coverage of gender-based violence, sexual violence against girls and women and on working with perpetrators of violence.
Ivana Zelic spoke within the panel Violence against Multiply Discriminated Women about violence against women with disabilities, difficulties they face when reporting violence, risk factors of violence against women with disabilities and various types of violence against women with physical and sensory disabilities.
– Women with disabilities are exposed to all forms of violence as all other women but face some more specific forms of violence: denial of drugs or treatment, confiscation of aids, isolation, ban on communication with the environment, overprotection. Many forms of violence against women with disabilities are masked as socially acceptable acts within families and institutions because of the belief that it is for her wellbeing – said Ivana Zelic.
After the presentation, Ivana Zelić showed the film Support to Women with Disabilities who have Survived Violence, which presents specific forms of violence against women with disabilities.
Representatives of the centers for social work, judicial bodies, health and other institutions and organizations that support women in situations of violence spoke at the conference in addition to Ivana Zelic.
