There are 12000 calls to SOS hot-line a year, but not a single one at the expense of state

State of Serbia is obliged to take on itself the establishment and sustainable financing of the national SOS hot-line for support to women victims of violence which would demonstrate responsibility regarding women citizens and taking over the obligation defined by ratification of Council of Europe Convention against violence against women. Specific characteristic of this service is that women calling SOS hot-line can remain anonymous, but still receive support and all relevant information in confidential form, which is especially important when women's confidence in institutions is undermined. For past decades, this service - the oldest service for women victims of violence in Serbia - is provided exclusively by specialized organizations of civil society, without any financial support from state.

Speaking about the National strategy for gender equality,  counselor of the president of the Coordination body for gender equality of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Branka Drašković, has emphasized that establishment of the national SOS hot-line is planned within Action plan for 2016, but that the first phase will have to be financed with donors' grants.

“In organizations that are members of the Network Women against violence, SOS hot-lines ring more than 12000 times a year. So, 12000 times women call and get support or concrete help from our counselors. In that enormous work, state does not participate at all”, stated Aleksandra Nestorov, coordinator of the Network WAV. Part of this network are SOS hot-lines in minority languages, as well as specialized SOS hot-lines for women with disabilities and victims of human trafficking, which makes this service additionally sensitive to the needs of different women and more encompassing than others.

Biljana Stepanov  has presented the work of the unique Vojvodina SOS hot-line for women victims of violence, that could serve as a model in establishment of national phone line.

It is concluded that the future phone number of the SOS hot-line should be made available to all citizens through media and other forms of public announcements, presented together with others generally known public emergency numbers, such are police, fire department and medical emergency.