Association Fenomena

Domestic violence is not a private matter! Step by step to a solution – call the women’s SOS service!

Right to a life without violence, right to safety and a safe home – even though these are set in highest international conventions and national laws, in practice, they are not available to many women and girls. Despite a century long feminist struggle to end male violence over women, this problem is still an issue in all the societies all over the world. According to the World Health Organization “violence causes more death and disability among women aged 15 to 45 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war combined.” In central Serbia, for example, one in two women faces some form of domestic violence and partner violence during her life.
Fenomena Association, with the support of the ACT project, is able to extend the license for SOS service operation during 2021, that, since it started its work, recorded more than 5000 services – SOS emotional support, legal advice, representation in front of state institutions. SOS service introduces new online services in the context of Covid-19 epidemics. Isolation measures increase the risk from domestic violence since the victims are locked down with abusers in apartments with no option of reporting the violence by phone or seeking social support of the SOS service. Fenomena Association will introduce safe and anonymous chat consultations on association’s website – available on all electronic devices with internet access.
Inclusion and active contribution of broader public, citizens, is key to violence prevention. The goal of the prevention is for the girls to recognize behavior patterns and early signs of violence to avoid entering violent relationships. Early reporting of violence is also important for violence escalation prevention and femicide. Therefore, Fenomena Association develops its capacities for citizen inclusion in gender based violence prevention.