This Advocacy and Lobbying Pack is designed for policy and decision makers and all influential allies from the European and international professional community who are willing to help the return of systemic learning on the issue of child sexual abuse within the national curriculum of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Serbia. The legal framework of this evidence-based appeal is the Lanzarote Convention. The Incest Trauma Center – Belgrade highly values every effort you can make that might take up toward the national authorities in Serbia in order to reach this goal. We invite you to focus your effort on influencing the policy that is presently in place in the country, which does not support the best interest of the child. Our main and only aim is to have children provided with knowledge to prevent and/or stop sexual abuse. Advocacy and Lobbing Pack is available HERE. Petition can be signed HERE.    

On Wednesday 16th December, 9.00-10.00am, our member organization RCNI Irish national information and resource centre will be launching their 2019 data, presenting statistics from Rape Crisis Centres across the country. Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/rcni-data-launch-event-tickets-… Minister Helen McEntee will be launching this survivor evidence. Following speakers will also be presenting at the event: Detective Chief Superintendent Declan Daly, Garda National Protective Services Bureau. Dr. Marceline Naudi - President, Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO). Dr. Clíona Saidléar - RCNI Executive Director. About this Event RCNI Rape Crisis Statistics 2019 presents data given to them by survivors and collated across a sample of seven Rape Crisis Centres, illuminating what survivors of sexual violence told them and asked of them in 2019. At a time when Ireland is set to radically overhaul how we respond to sexual violence with the Government audit of its infrastructure responding to sexual and domestic violence (April 2021), the drafting of the third national strategy and the implementing of the O'Malley report, these experiences of survivors can both guide us and act as a baseline. RCNI's ambition is that survivors' voices driving this transformation will establish Ireland as best in Europe when we are reviewed under the Istanbul Convention by GREVIO in February 2022. This RCNI Statistical Report provides detailed analysis of sexual violence and interrogates patterns of sexual violence.

This year took a negative turn on women’s fundamental human rights, which is why protecting them is now more urgent than ever. The Association SOS Help-line for Women and Children – Victims of Violence, Ljubljana and film production house Vertigo, Ljubljana produced three short fiction films, based on true events, about intimate partner violence. The short films are directed by Martin Draksler. The films were produced by Zala Opara. Cast: Tina Resman, Lara Vouk and Doroteja Nadrah. DOP is Izidor Čok, editing by Ambrož Pivk. Costume by Katja Vrenko, make up design by Anja Blagonja. Sound by Julij Zornik. The first short film titled Everything Will Be Fine is based on true events and it talks about domestic violence. Domestic violence happens behind closed doors. It’s on us to stop it. The short film is avalilable HERE. The second short film titled I Didn’t Say Yes is also based on true events and it talks about experience of rape. More than 90% of rape cases go unreported. The short film is available HERE. The last film from the series of three shorts It Started With Trust, directed by Martin Draksler is the most heart-breaking. It is titled Hope Dies Last, and is unfortunately also based on true events. Homicide is only the tip of the iceberg of domestic violence and it can be prevented by taking an action. The short film is available HERE.

In order to mark European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, Association SOS Helpline for Women and Children Victims of Violence, Ljubljana, Slovenia and our Network organized Two-Day International Meeting For Professional Advancement In The Field Of Sexual Violence With A Focus On Sexual Violence Against Children And Rape. Program of this International Meeting can be found HERE. List of the lectures that can be watched: Caroline Counihan – “Consent in Irish Criminal Law and Other Positive Developments - What Should Happen Next?” Maja Plaz (Association SOS Helpline for Women and Children Victims of Violence, Ljubljana, Slovenia) - “Spolno nasilje v Sloveniji – kako ga prepoznavamo, obravnavamo in preprečujemo” Maja Mamula, Ph.D. (Women's Room) – „Rules of Procedure in Cases of Sexual Violence - development and implications of its existence“ Opening speech done by president of our Network and directress of Incest Trauma Centar - Belgrade, Dušica Popadić  David Finkelhor, Ph.D., Crimes against Children Research Center, Family Research Laboratory, Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, USA -“The Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse”  dr. Ljiljana Bogavac (Incest Trauma Centar – Belgrade) – „Do you really care for a child who survived sexual violence“  Final discussion and conclusions done by members of our Network  

"Sexual Violence – Educational and Prevention Program" (SVEP Program) NO. REC-AG-2017/REC-RDAP-GBV-AG-2017 is funded by the European Union under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020). The project leader is the Women's Room, in cooperation with the project partners: the Ombudsperson for Children of the Republic of Croatia, Blue Phone, Gymnasium and Vocational School Bernardin Frankopan Ogulin, Economic and Tourism School Daruvar, Crafts School Osijek, Medical School Osijek, Food Technology School Zagreb and Ivan Švear Secondary School Ivanić Grad. The project started on September 1, 2018. The overall aim of the project is the prevention of sexual violence against children through educational activities, capacity building and awareness raising. Sexual violence falls into the category of the most severe and least reported forms of violence, especially when it comes to children and youth. Some of its forms are particularly unrecognized, both in the legislation and by the profession, but also by the general public. Although the topic of sexual violence against children and youth is gaining importance, it is still met with significant resistance and the avoidance of its recognition by both professionals and the general public. This is evident from the lack of systematic programs for the prevention of sexual violence at an early age (kindergarten) as well as from the lack of systematic, specialized education for professionals from different systems (educational institutions, health care institutions, social welfare institutions, etc.) so they could recognize and protect children who survived sexual violence. Although data indicates that 1 in 5 children has survived sexual violence, there is still a low level of awareness in society about this problem. In response to such lack of systematic and continuous education on the issue of sexual violence, as well as based on the recognized needs and expressed interest of educational institutions and children and youth for…

This year took a negative turn on women's fundamental human rights, which is why protecting them is now more urgent than ever. The Association SOS help-line and film production house Vertigo, Ljubljana produced three short fiction films, based on true events, about intimate partner violence. The short films are directed by Martin Draksler. In the light of the International days of fight against violence on women, the short films will experience their online international premiere on Wednesday, 2nd of December starting at 6pm CET. They will be released on Facebook page of European Women's Network against Sexual Violence and on other national and international portals of organisations which defend and fight for women's fundamental human rights. Short films about violence will be released at 6PM CET; short film about rape at 7PM CET and about homicide at 8PM CET. Photo: Urša Premik #metoo #endviolence #womensrights More information can be found on the link: SOS_Invitation-to-collaborate  

To raise awareness about violence against women and kick-off the „16 days of activism against gender-based violence“ campaign, important buildings around the world will be lit up in orange. EIGE will light up Europe House in Vilnius on 25 November. In Brussels, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the European External Action Service will be lit up the same day. The theme of this year’s campaign is "Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!" “Women usually face the most danger from people they know. EIGE’s research shows EU governments recognise this: every single country has introduced special measures to protect women from intimate partner violence during the pandemic. Yet persistent under-funding of shelters and domestic violence hotlines has resulted in sometimes patchy support,” said Carlien Scheele, EIGE’s Director in the lead up to the international day to eliminate violence against women. More information  can be found HERE!