IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA from January 1 to December 31, 2022. within the Service for protection against gender-based violence provided 497 services total: 370 specialized services of SOS consultant support, 84 individual psychological support and 43 legal counselor consultations.
Out of 370 specialized SOS consultant support services, 118 were providing information(the procedure for reporting violence and the actions of competent institutions, the cycle of violence, providing individual psychological support to women exposed to violence, legal counselling, conditions for entering the Safe House, the procedures for seeking the custody over minor children, divorce procedures, division of joint property); 116 empowerment services (providing psychological support for anxiety, depression, lack of confidence during legal procedures for violence and job seeking); 85 scheduling for psychological support and 51 referrals to other services, institutions and other NOGs for the protection of women from domestic violence (Police, Center for Social Welfare, Women’s Safe House, Biro for Providing Free Legal Help, Provincial Protector of Citizens, Autonomous Women’s Center, Center for Emotional Support and Suicide Prevention Srce, Restart association, Association of Roma Women Osvit, Girls’ Center in Nis, The Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights Yucom).
The support services were for women who suffered vilification, insults, threats and physical abuse. Over time they developed defense mechanisms such as withdrawal, which resulted in losing self-confidence, mistrust and insecurity in personal strength and capabilities. Consultations with the lawyer related to legal advice during the division of marital property, divorce, preparations before the hearing in the proceedings for non-payment of alimony, administration of a temporary measure for the independent exercise of parental rights, implementation of corrective supervision measures and writing a submission to The Misdemeanor Court for domestic violence.
In most cases, the services were provided by phone (224), text messages via Viber, Instagram, Facebook, mail, and SMS (68), but also by personally coming to the premises of the Organization (57).
Among the beneficiaries that received services in 2022. within the Service for protection against gender-based violence, 42% of them were women with disabilities (physical, sensory, mental, intellectual, combined, or chronic disease) and 58% were women without disabilities. Women that addressed the service for help were of different ages, the youngest being 19 and the oldest 82 years.
Women from urban areas (82%) were more often approached for services than women from rural areas (18%). The beneficiaries called the service from Belgrade, Kula, Leskovac, Novi Sad, Nis, Ruma, Smederevo, Stara Pazova, Sremska Mitrovica, but also from rural areas: Vojvoda Stepa, Debeljaca, Zarkovac, Kovilj, Sirig, Takovo, Titel, Futoga, Crvenka and Cortanovci.
Most women were exposed to psychological violence (68%) and economic violence (32%), followed by other forms of violence (physical and sexual violence, prosecution, isolation, control and digital violence). Most often, perpetrators are husbands, ex-husbands, partners, ex-partners, parents, children other family members (step-fathers), acquaintances, neighbors and employers.
Employed women make up the majority of the beneficiaries (49%), compared to unemployed (33%), retired women (14%) and students (4%). The economic factor is most often the decisive factor for leaving the violent situation and, at the same time the biggest obstacle.
Women exposed to violence addressed the service on their own in most cases. Only 19% calls were from other persons in the name of women exposed to violence (grown-up children for mothers without disabilities exposed to physical and psychological violence by their spouse, calls from mothers for daughters exposed to physical violence and persecution from their ex-partners, calls from citizens to get information about reporting violence from a third party, calls from associates from other organizations and institutions for beneficiaries with disabilities exposed to violence).
The work of the Service for protection against gender-based violence of IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA in 2022. was supported by the Dutch foundation Mama Cash and Reconstruction Women’s Fund.
Photo: Pixabay
