For the purpose of public commitment to joint action against violence, strengthening the support network and promoting concrete measures through cooperation of institutions, education, culture, and media, yesterday, a Memorandum against domestic violence was signed.
Signatories of the Memorandum are members of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), initiator of the adoption of the federal law against domestic violence, Vibor Handzic, and executive director of Poradna pro obcanstvi / Obcanska a lidska prava in Prague, Miroslav Dvorak.
With the Memorandum, they confirm that domestic violence, physical, psychological, economic, or social, is unacceptable and has no place in a society based on dignity, equality, and the rule of law.
It was pointed out that strategies and regulations exist, but the problem is non-implementation. Without implementing rules, functional bodies, and budgets, there is no effect.
They demand application, not declarations, but the establishment of a coordinating body at the state level and mandatory, continuous training of the police, judiciary, and social work centers.
They demand a clear designation of femicide. They also request the expansion of the network of safe houses, housing solutions, and programs of economic empowerment – mentorship, education, and employment.
They consider technology for protection necessary, and for that purpose, applications for anonymous reporting, panic buttons, and mandatory electronic bracelets are used, with a clear budget and responsible holders.
The signatories of the Memorandum clearly emphasized that the voice of survivors is at the center; therefore, their participation in advisory bodies, campaigns, and education is necessary.
“Violence is not a private matter; silence is complicity. It is time to stop counting the dead and start counting measures,” stated the signatories of the Memorandum.
President of the Association “Dom kulture”, Kenan Beslija, said that violence has no borders, it is all around us, in BiH, the region, as well as in developed countries of the world.
“Prevention is the most important, to develop awareness in ourselves, we are not obliged to be victims, and no one is obliged to endure violence. Therefore, we must not be silent; we fight and seek help,” said Beslija.
Prevention of domestic violence, violence against women, is also about the economic independence of women.
Psychiatrist of the clinic “Mali Princ” from Copenhagen, Davor Mucic, through his work with refugees from the former Yugoslavia, noticed a phenomenon that speaks about why women filed for divorce.
They did not file because they had different religious, political, or national affiliations, but because in Denmark, they were economically equal with their husbands.
We cannot, he added, in a country where the foundations for a high standard, equality, and employment do not exist, dream that we will have a Scandinavian system, “but it would be good that politicians in BiH, together with citizens, have better, more open, and more transparent communication.”
Within the framework of the signing of the Memorandum against domestic violence, a panel discussion was also held on the topic “From law to life: how to make support visible and accessible?”, and a screening of the Czech film Why do we hurt (55′) was organized, Fena news agency writes.
