IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA took part in the round table Visible: Women with Disabilities and Right to Life without Violence, held within the Campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, at the Youth Centre OPENS Novi Sad, on November 28, 2025.
The representatives of the civil society organizations, institutions, activists, and experts from the human rights and gender equality fields gathered at the round table to discuss the matter of violence against women with disabilities. The discussion included a greater risk of violence, special forms of violence that women with disabilities experience, inaccessibility of institutions and protective services against violence, and systematic oversights that enable a large number of cases to remain unregistered and survivor women with disabilities invisible.
Ivanka Jovanovic, executive director of the National Organization of Persons with Disabilities, pointed out that women with disabilities are at great risk of violence, but are empowered neither to report it nor to protect themselves from it. The additional problem is that safe houses and institutions are, in most cases, not accessible to women with disabilities.
Dobrila Markovic, an executive director of the association Sloboda nema cenu (Freedom has no Price), emphasized the importance of making workers in the system aware of the problems persons with disabilities face and of how they should respond to their needs. The education, in the sense of the knowledge they will get, and professional attitude, is very important because of the stereotypes and prejudices associated with persons with disabilities.
Jelena Kostic, an expert associate of IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA, talked at the round table. She presented The Initiative of Women with Disabilities for Advocating for their Rights – a platform uniting women with various disabilities, aiming to empower them, provide mutual support, and joint advocacy towards decision-makers. Jelena Kostic highlighted the importance of women with disabilities speaking about their experience and actively participating in creating policies: – We cannot discuss inclusivity and equality if women with disabilities are not visible in public spaces and their voices are not heard in the process of decision-making.
This occasion is a stepping-stone towards better visibility of women with disabilities and towards a society where the right to life without violence is guaranteed to everyone. The participants agreed that it is necessary to improve intersectional cooperation, provide accessible support services, empower women with disabilities to recognize and report violence, and encourage them to get involved in advocacy and policy-making processes. When asked what they think is the most important step for women with disabilities to live without violence, the largest percentage of those present answered THE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
The round table was organized by the National Organization of Persons with Disabilities with financial support from the Sector for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Social and Veteran Affairs.
Radio Television of Vojvodina, Dnevnik, Portal 025.rs, and other media reported on the event.
