On the occasion of the National Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the BaBe Association reminds us that support for the suppression and prevention of violence must not remain at a declarative level. High-quality cross-sectoral cooperation is necessary between all links of the system that participate in the suppression and prevention of violence – from the police, judiciary, social welfare centers, medical staff to educational institutions and the media as creators of public opinion.
Despite the fact that violence against women and domestic violence is only occasionally discussed in public and in the media, when certain dates like today are marked, or when a tragedy occurs, it is important to reiterate that violence against women is not a private matter or a family value. Violence against women is a pressing social problem that we must tackle.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016, 72 women in Croatia were killed by their husbands, ex-husbands, partners, ex-partners or other close male persons. Last year, 15 women were killed in Croatia by a close male person. Therefore, femicide - the murder of women by close male persons - accounts for 25 to 30 percent of all murders in Croatia. Every 15 minutes, one woman is abused, and every third experiences economic violence in a partner relationship. Only one in 15 to 20 women reports rape. This devastating statistic testifies to how widespread violence is, and what is even more frightening is how much violence actually remains unreported, in the gray area. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to raise awareness about violence against women and domestic violence, to deconstruct imposed gender roles, stereotypes and prejudices, to empower victims, and to severely and without exception sanction any violent behavior. In this social context, the rapid and high-quality implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence must not be called into question.
Raising awareness is the first step in solving the problem of gender-based violence. As a society, we must become aware that violence against women is an unacceptable violation of human rights that should be severely punished. Likewise, violent behavior should be met with unwavering condemnation by the entire society; the perpetrator should not be justified or excused for his actions, and the victim should be empowered, not imposed with additional feelings of guilt and shame. Children must learn from a young age that violence is unacceptable and that we should strive for peaceful solutions, tolerance and respect for others and those who are different. We need to educate citizens for a more equal and just society.
