UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report Annex:
The findings of the Evaluation of the Action Plan for the implementation of the National Strategy for the Improvement of the Status of Women and Improving Gender Equality 2010-2015 indicate a degree of progress was achieved in the above areas, particularly regarding the improvement of the legal framework in the field of equal participation of women and men in the political life, anti-discrimination, labour and employment, as well as establishing institutional mechanisms for gender equality, improving gender-sensitive statistics and increased visibility of the issue of violence against women. The selected strategic areas and targeted interventions were confirmed to be relevant, but some areas need to be expanded or redefined.
In February 2016 the Government of RS adopted the National Gender Equality Strategy for 2016-2020 with an Action Plan 2016-2018. The Strategy contains three primary goals: 1) change of gender patterns and improvement of cultural gender equality; 2) increasing the equality of women and men by applying equal opportunity policies; and 3) systematic introduction of gender perspectives into the adoption, implementation and monitoring of public policy.
The first report on the implementation of the National Gender Equality Strategy and relevant Action Plan has been developed.
The program for professional development of police officers for 2017 continues the implementation of the instructional unit which content consists of the following topics: manifestation forms of domestic violence; family members under the Criminal Code; general principles for protection of women victims of domestic and intimate partnership violence; reporting domestic and intimate partnership violence against women by telephone; sending and arrival of police officers to the place of domestic and intimate partnership violence against women; the most common risks; documenting events; statements of support for victims of domestic and intimate partnership violence against women; cooperation with other institutions and institutions dealing with domestic and intimate partnership violence against women.
For the purpose of standardization and uniform implementation of this thematic area, the Department for Vocational Training - the Training Implementation Unit developed a manual and presentation that are fully compatible with the instruction content of the topic.
The Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence provides for two urgent measures: the urgent measure of removing the perpetrator of the violence from the apartment and the urgent measure of forbidding the perpetrator to contact and approach the victim. Urgent measures are imposed by a police officer for prevention of domestic violence and can last for 48 hours, and can be imposed cumulatively. The public prosecutor, in case of establishing the existence of a direct threat of domestic violence, is obliged to submit a motion to extend the emergency measure. The court evaluates the risk assessment of the competent police officer, the risk assessment made by the basic public prosecutor and assesses the evidence and claims submitted by the public prosecutor. Urgent measures can be extended by court decision for another 30 days. On the proposal of the basic public prosecutor, the basic court shall decide within 24 hours of receiving the submission and without holding a hearing. The law contains penal provisions that prescribe violations and greater effectiveness of urgent measures and measures of protection against domestic violence is achieved.
At the level of the Government, the Council for Suppression of Domestic Violence has been established, which is tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Law and improving the coordination of competent state bodies, institutions and other entities, and the effectiveness of preventing domestic violence and protection against domestic violence.
The Provincial Secretariat for Health Care, in partnership with the Women's Support Centre from Kikinda, has been implementing a three-year project, "Stop - Protect - Help", since January 2016. The project is intended for women in the situation of violence and potential victims, professionals in all sectors at all levels of authority, women's organizations and the entire population on the territory of the province.
Starting from the obligations of the state provided for by the Istanbul Convention as well as the measures provided for in the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, CBGE initiated the adoption of the National Strategy for the Prevention and Suppression of Domestic and Intimate Partnership Violence against Women and Girls for the period 2017-2020. For the analysis of the previous strategy and development of a new one, as well as for the implementation of numerous awareness-raising activities, the necessary funding was provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) within the project "Integrated Response to Violence against Women and Girls II". The project began in July 2016 and will last until July 2018, with a total value of $ 940,000. The project has been implemented in cooperation with all UN agencies in Serbia and relevant line ministries. Its implementation will contribute to the further development of the social and institutional environment in Serbia with zero tolerance for violence.
In order to encourage women to report cases of domestic and sexual violence by raising awareness about the criminal nature of such actions, the Ministry of Justice organized a national media campaign of raising awareness called "Off Violence".
There are safe houses managed by centres for social work in Kragujevac, Leskovac, Priboj, Smederevo, Vranje, Jagodina, Šabac, Niš and Majdanpek. In AP Vojvodina, there are 5 safe houses, managed by centres for social work, with total capacity for 122 persons: Novi Sad; Zrenjanin, Sombor, Pančevo and Sremska Mitrovica. In the past period, the Provincial Government, in cooperation with the B92 Fund, supported the construction and equipping of safe houses in Zrenjanin, Pančevo, Sombor and Sremska Mitrovica with a total of 22,500,000RSD.
Since 2011 the City of Belgrade, recognizing the importance of a shelter service for women victims of domestic violence, has provided financial support to the civil society organization Counselling against Domestic Violence in Belgrade, which has three safe houses for women victims of domestic violence. By introducing the service of providing shelter for women victims of domestic violence into the normative framework of the city of Belgrade, which defines the conditions for exercising rights and services in the field of social protection, the basis for the implementation of the public procurement procedure of the service has been established in accordance with the Law on Social Protection and the Decision on Rights and Social Protection Services. The service was formally established by the public procurement in early 2016, when a contract for providing the service was concluded with the licensed organization Counselling Centre against Domestic Violence in Belgrade. The accommodation capacity of the Counselling Centre is 30 women and children, 24 hours a day. The costs of this service are fully covered by funds from the budget of the City of Belgrade provided for each current year, the service is free for women victims of violence.
Activities aimed at implementing the recommendation are being continuously implemented.

UN Compilation:
Para 38) CESCR remained concerned about the high unemployment rate in Serbia, which disproportionately affected women, …
Para 39) [CESCR] was concerned about the low employment rate of women and the prevalence of gender discrimination in employment.
Para 56) The UN country team noted that girls and women in Serbia were still frequently exposed to gender-based violence, such as violence in family and partner relationships, sexual harassment and rape.
Para 57) The UN country team noted the adoption in 2016 of a law on the prevention of domestic violence, as well as amendments to provisions of the Criminal Code on rape and related non-consensual sex, stalking, sexual harassment, forced marriage and genital mutilation.
Para 58) CEDAW remained concerned about the increasing number of women murdered by their husbands, ex-husbands or partners and the significant disparity among the number of police interventions, the number of criminal charges filed and the number of persons convicted of domestic violence against women.
Para 60) The UN country team indicated that only 5 per cent of municipal presidents or mayors, and 29 per cent of the councillors in local assemblies, were women. CESCR was concerned about the underrepresentation of women in the national and local government bodies and public sector positions. The UN country team indicated that fewer women than men were employed (42 per cent as compared to 58 per cent).

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 8) POC stated that the protection of women against violence was not efficient enough.
Para 58) JS4 underscored the high number of women murdered in the context of domestic and intimate partner violence. It asserted that the State had no system for monitoring and analysing this phenomenon, a new National Strategy to prevent all forms of violence against women 2016-2020 had not been adopted, and a systematic approach to combatting stereotypes and discrimination of women, promotion of gender equality and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in the education system, had not been established.
Para 60) JS4 indicated that there were municipalities which had not established equality mechanisms.