Action Against Gender Violence

23 November 2004

The �They Don�t Trust� Action, followed by a street performance by ACT Women and the Academict Theatre, will be held on Thursday, November 25, 2004, at the Republic Square. The action will start at 15:00 hours, and is organized by the Autonomous Women Centre. The action is organized under the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.

Similar performances will be held in Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Sid, Uzice, Leskovac and Velika Plana. The whole project is implemented by the Autonomous Women Centre and Women in Action association, in cooperation with women groups from more than 40 cities and towns in Serbia.

According to a survey conducted by the Autonomous Women Centre, 78% of women victims of violence in Serbia don�t seek help from anyone. One in four women in Serbia has suffered from physical violence inflicted by a male member of the family. In almost 50% of all cases, the violence is committed by the partner, and in 16% the perpetrator was a former partner. Four fifths of women suffer injuries caused by violence, and one in five women suffers grievous physical trauma.

This year�s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence puts an emphasis on the health problems caused by violence. It is implemented, in various forms, in over 130 countries in the world, and is marked by important dates: November 25 � International Day for fight against gender violence; and December 10 � International Human Rights Day.