Regional conference Psychological Support and Legal Protection of Victims of Violence in Autonomous Region Vojvodina took place in Novi Sad, Hotel Sheraton on May 22, 2025. The Centre for Supporting Women from Kikinda organized the Conference within the project they realized with the support of The United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.
In the introductory presentations, managers and experts engaged in the project Road to Recovery: improvement of services for victims of sexual violence in Vojvodina addressed the participants: Biljana Stepanov, director of the Center for Supporting Women, Danica Todorov, coordinator of the Center for Victims of Sexual Violence, and Jelena Milić Jerković, special pedagogue and psychotherapist.
Participants talked about the psychological support for women and girls that survived sexual violence, the court practice in processing rape cases, and the capacities of civil organizations to provide psychological support followed the introduction in three panel discussions that followed.
In the first panel, Psychological Support for Victims of sexual violence, based on information about trauma, experts from the region shared knowledge, practices and experiences in providing psychological support services to women who have survived sexual violence. The following spoke: Genta Hoxha, a psychologist from the organization Different and Equal from Albania; Vesna Matevska, program manager for gender-based violence in the organization HERA, North Macedonia; Gorica Ivić, executive director of the Banja Luka United Women’s Foundation, Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Nada Koprivica, program assistant of the SOS telephone for women and children victims of violence Nikšić, Montenegro.
The speakers in the second panel Court Practice in the Processing of Rape Cases in the AP Vojvodina were, prof. Dr Nevena Petrušić from the Faculty of Law in Nis, Dr Kosana Beker, director of the FemPlatz association from Pancevo, Maja Petrović from the Center for Social Work of the City of Novi Sad and associate of the Center for Support for Women, retired judge Savo Djurdjic. Panel participants pointed out, among other things, that the punishments for the perpetrators are light, that the victims are additionally victimized by hearings done several times, and that the definition of rape in the domestic legislation is not in agreement with the Istanbul Convention.
In the third panel, Capacities of Civil Society Organizations in Providing Psychological Support to Victims of Gender-based and Sexual Violence, representatives of associations that provide psychological support to victims of violence spoke about their experiences and challenges in providing psychological support to different categories of women: Branislava Golić, a counsellor at the Center for Victims of Sexual Violence at the Center for Women’s Support; Svjetlana Timotić, founder and executive director of the IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA; Ana Sacipović, director of the Romani Women’s Association Osvit; Jelena Hrnjak, program manager of the Atina Association; and Mirela Osmanovic, social worker of the Victimology Society of Serbia.
The Conference pointed out that despite the efforts of the state, international organizations and numerous women’s citizen associations, gender-based violence, especially sexual, is still very widespread. Women and girls from vulnerable groups are predominantly exposed to sexual violence, such as women with disabilities, trafficked women and Roma women. Support services are missing or not equally available to all categories of women, punishments for perpetrators are mild, and the cooperation of all acting institutions, which is necessary to avoid additional victimization of survivors, is lacking.
Read more about the Conference at the Internet presentation of the Center for Women’s Support The Conference about the Psychological Support and Legal Protection of Victims of Sexual Violence in AP Vojvodina.
