Study visit to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
How do women’s organizations in the Balkans respond when systems are fragile and violence continues to affect thousands of people, especially women and girls?
📆During the period 10-15 May, A.O “Artemida” together with 9 other member organizations of the National Coalition “Life without Violence”, participated in a study visit to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized with the support of the ARC Foundation Romania and the TRAG Foundation from Serbia.
The visit offered the opportunity to learn about the experience of feminist organizations and specialized centers that develop services for survivors of violence, advocacy initiatives and prevention programs. The participants discussed the current challenges in the region, but also about the solutions built directly in the communities.
During the visit, organizations such as:
• TRAG Foundation from Serbia, an organization that supports the development of communities and civil society organizations through grants, mentoring and long-term partnerships, with a focus on supporting organizations that work in the field of women’s rights and combating gender-based violence;
• NGO ATINA, specialized in combating human trafficking and supporting survivors of exploitation;
• FemPlatz, an organization recognized for its femicide monitoring and advocacy work;
• Center for Support of Women, which develops specialized services for victims of sexual violence;
• Alternative Center for Girls, which works with adolescents and young women to prevent online and offline violence;
• BeFem, one of the most active feminist organizations in Serbia;
• Vive Žene from Tuzla, which manages the only placement center for victims of domestic violence in the Tuzla Canton;
• Otaharin from Bijeljina, an organization that supports Roma women and children through education and social entrepreneurship initiatives;
• Women’s Vision from Tuzla, which develops community initiatives for women in rural areas.
📌A special emphasis was placed on preventing online violence, supporting women in vulnerable communities, developing safe spaces and strengthening specialized support services for women and girls. The discussions highlighted the importance of community interventions, collaboration between civil society organizations and public institutions, but also the need for accessible services adapted to the real needs of survivors of violence.
🧡For A.O “Artemida”, this experience means new ideas, good practices and partnerships that will contribute to improving the services offered to women and girls in the Republic of Moldova. The visit also provided concrete examples of organizing safe spaces, developing integrated services and actively involving communities in preventing and combating gender-based violence.
Solidarity between civil society organizations remains one of the most important resources in building safer communities for women and girls. Exchange of experience and regional cooperation contribute to the development of more effective, more humane and closer to the needs of people in vulnerable situations.
