“WOMEN’S CEMETERY” PERFORMANCE AND FORUMS ABOUT FEMICIDE IN 5 CITIES IN THE SOUTH OF SERBIA

Over 3,700 citizens of Dimitrovgrad, Leskovac, Aleksinac, Nis and Pirot saw the performance of the Center for Girls “Women’s Cemetery”, which talks about femicide. Online, the performance was seen by 13,540 people.

Activists of the Center for Girls stood motionless, dressed in black, and wore the names of women killed since the beginning of 2024, while the names of over 450 girls and women killed from 2010 to the present day were heard from the loudspeaker. Many people stopped and watched the performance from beginning to the very end, took photos, recorded, some approached to ask what it was about, what is femicide, etc. During the performance, we distributed flyers about femicide to fellow female citizens, on which they could see a wheel of power and control, which talks about all the tactics and forms of violence that the abuser uses before the violence reaches its peak and ends in femicide, as well as the most common myths about femicide, and its definition.

After the performance, a forum on femicide was held in each of the cities, in cooperation with local non-governmental organizations (Independent Women’s Center in Dimitrovgrad, Women for Peace in Leskovac, Association of Romani Women NADA in Aleksinac, Ternipe in Pirot). Activists, representatives of women’s non-governmental organizations, researchers, employees of state institutions, such as the Center for Social Work, spoke at the forums. We talked about what femicide is, how it differs from homicide and what defines it, why it should become a separate criminal offense, how femicide occurs and what comes before it, how it can be prevented by an adequate reaction of institutions, better risk assessment and protection of women, how the media can cause harm, but also contribute to the fight against femicide and be allies, how citizens can contribute to the fight against femicide, etc. We distributed flyers about femicide to the citizens present.

Since the beginning of 2024, at least 10 women were killed by their partners and closest male relatives. Femicide is the murder of a woman just because she is a woman. It is associated with discrimination against women, unequal distribution of power between men and women, prejudice, and violence against women.

Forums and performances were organized and realized within the project “Stop The Murdering of Women – For Better Legal Regulation of Femicide”, which aims to contribute to recognizing femicide in Serbia as a separate crime, which should be monitored trough the official statistic. Through street performances, forums, a survey and a campaign on femicide, the Center for Girls will work to raise public awareness of femicide in five cities in the south of Serbia and encourage citizens to get involved in advocating for change. This project is financially supported by the Reconstruction Women’s Fund.

Photo: Marta S.

You can see all the photos HERE.

You can watch the video from Pirot HERE.

Watch the report from TV Caribrod HERE.