The Women Against Violence Network is a coalition of specialized womens’ non-governmental organizations which respect the Network basic principles and feminist politics.
The Women Against Violence Network was established in 2005, emerging from women’s continuous networking in Serbia around the issue of violence against women, with the main goal of strengthening and connecting specialized women’s organizations which render services to victims.
The Women against Violence Network is open for association with all organizations and individuals working on the issue of violence against women directly (SOS line, counseling, centers, shelters, safe houses, crisis centers, etc), or indirectly through research, advocating for women’s right to life without violence, education, lobbying or in other ways.
Full membership of the Network can be achived by associations only, while individuals have the status of honorary members.
Since 2018, the work of the Network has been organized according to territorially formed regions. The Network operates in five regions: Vojvodina, South, Central Serbia, Southwestern Serbia and Belgrade.
A region is formed at the initiative of at least three Network member organizations, and the decision on the number and composition of the region is made by the Network Assembly.
Each Region selects an organization that coordinates the region for a period of two years. The mandate of the coordinating organization may be extended for a further two years (a maximum of four years).
Rights and Obligations of the Women Against Violence Network members, administrative bodies and scope of their work and method of decision making, reasons and procedure for termination of the membership in the Network and other issues relevant to the Network's work are established by the Network Statute.
Network Bodies
Network Bodies
The Women against Violence Network accomplishes its basic goals through individual or joint efforts of members, and through the work of Network Bodies.
Network bodies are:
The Assembly
The Network’s highest ranking body consists of two delegated representatives of each member organization. Each organization has one vote regardless of the number of delegates to the Assembly.
The Assembly adopts the Network Policy (work rulebook), strategic documents, work program, annual work plan and other general acts of the Network, approves the formation and suspension of a Region, approves the Network Coordination body (based on the proposal of the Region) and members of temporary working groups, decides on member admissions and expulsions and performs other tasks determined by the general acts of the Network.
The Assembly members meet once a year for a regular meeting. They also can organize extraordinary meetings if necessary.
Except directly at the Assembly sessions, discussions can be conducted and decisions can also be made by voting through the Assembly's e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Each organization is required to provide one email address for communication.
Decisions are made when at least 2/3 members are present, or when at least 2/3 members vote via email list.
Voting is public unless the Assembly chooses to vote in secret.
Meetings are organized in accordance with accessibility standards.
The Network Coordination body (Managing Board)
- The Network Coordination body is an executive body and is made up of one delegate from each region and two delegates of member organizations from associations of multiple marginalized women (Roma women, women with disabilities etc.).
Competencies and responsibilities:
- implements the Network's program and annual work plan
- establishes and initiates proposals for general acts and decisions to be adopted by the Assembly
- appoints occasional and temporary working bodies
- convenes the Assembly meetings
- prepares the agenda for the Assembly
- approves and is responsible for common activities, projects and funding of the Network
- schedules emergency meetings and makes decisions in crisis situations that are time-limited and relevant to the Network or to individual network associations
- encourages communication between members and supports development of PR activities
- keeps records of active membership of the Network
- The Network Coordination body appoints two Operational Coordinators (OC) from its ranks for a period of 6 months, with the possibility of re-election for the same period.
- The Network Coordination body meets at least once a month online, while instant communication is more often via Viber or similar social media.
The Network Coordination body appoints two Operational Coordinators (OC) from its ranks for a period of 6 months, with the possibility of re-election for the same period. Operational coordinators can only be elected twice in a row. Their competencies and responsibilities are: convening the Assembly meetings, preparing the meeting’s agendas, facilitating the Assembly meetings, taking meeting minutes, administrating e-mail list, sending informations via e-mail list, informing of the Network decisions about member admissions and expulsions, keeping Google Drive documentation online and sending an access link to all Assembly members (at least once a year to update informations), making proposals and sending final press releases in the name of the Network with the approval of the Coordination body, until the formation of a working group.
Meetings can also be held online.
Vision
Vision
A society where women live and make independent decisions without violence or fear of violence.
Strategic Fieldsof Action 2010 – 2012
Strategic Fields of Action 2010 – 2012
The Women against Violence Network vision may be accomplished through three fields of action:
- Strengthening Network capacities and resources:
Improving interconnectedness, knowledge and skills, equipment, material security and raising action taking capabilities and efficiency of the Network and its members for the purpose of accomplishing strategic goals. - Strengthening the Network’s and its members’ influence on relevant national and local policies:
Creating Network strategies in regards to using mechanisms to influence: national and local policies, institutions which adopt and implement laws. - Improving public visibility of the Network and its members, and especially in relation to women, funding agencies and institutions.
Context – Networkand Its Environment
Context – Network and Its Environment
Since its beginnings (1993) women of the Autonomous Women’s Center have been dedicated to women’s networking. They banded into networks in the 90’s and continued on into this decade because of ever increasing responsibilities.
Today Serbia has several state mechanisms (laws, strategies, plans, institutional bodies and mechanisms for gender equality) for decreasing violence against women. The Women against Violence Network has come across old problems within the new institutional mechanisms, most of all in relation to recognition of organizations’ expertise and organized support of their work. Specialized women’s organizations which render services to women who have survived violence, still face financial insecurity – existing funding agencies and means of fundraising do not enable financial security and long-term planning, state mechanisms are underdeveloped, and there is a lack of awareness about the need to develop and support alternative means of rendering social services pertaining to violence against women.
Services and Funding
Women against Violence Network 2015-2018
Number of SOS helpline calls received, number of women provided with support services and funding of the services from the local budget
Year |
Number of CSOs who shared data on services |
Number of SOS helpline calls received |
Number of women, service users |
Number of CSOs who received funding from the budget line 481 – Donations to CSOs |
Total amount of funds received in Euros |
Number of CSOs who received funding from the budget line 472 – Social protection services |
Total amount of funds received in Euros |
2018 |
23 |
12 174 |
5 096 |
7 |
12 194 |
3 |
9 583 |
2017 |
23 |
15 443 |
4 753 |
8 |
20 979 |
3 |
13 018 |
2016 |
26 |
12 780 |
5 085 |
8 |
9 276 |
4 |
23 602 |
2015 |
28 |
10 950 |
4 053 |
7 |
7 250 |
2 |
4 240 |