In the premises of the Ethno Village complex in Kumanovo, the team of the National Network to End Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence held a meeting with councilors from the municipalities of the North-Eastern plan region, at which representatives from relevant institutions were also present (domestic violence inspectors at the Kumanovo, Ministry of Internal Affairs, representatives from PI IMCSW Kumanovo, etc.).
In the first part, the situation with violence against women and domestic violence was presented, that is, the findings of the analysis conducted by our partner organization, the National Roma Center, which was promoted in March 2022. At the meeting, the president of the Kumanovo Municipality Council, Ivana Gjorgjievska, and the director of PI IMCSW Kumanovo, Aleksandra Arsovska, gave an opening speach, expressing their concern about the situation and support for strengthening the system of protection for victims.
After the presentations, a discussion was opened about the possibilities for ensuring the sustainability of the counseling center for help and support of women and children victims of gender-based and family violence, which is managed by the local women’s organization “Majka” from Kumanovo. During the discussion, the councilors were introduced to the legal possibilities and obligations of the local self-government in terms of establishing and ensuring sustainability of specialized services for help and support to victims of gender-based and family violence. It was jointly agreed that the first step is the inclusion of this vulnerable category in the social protection programs of the municipalities.
The financial resources needed to ensure the sustainability of a counseling center for a duration of one year were also presented at the meetings.
The meeting is part of the activities within the project: Advocacy for the provision of specialized services for help and support to women and children victims of gender-based and family violence” of the National Roma Center Association as part of the project On the way to the EU: Prevention of violence against women in the Republic of North Macedonia” financed by the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, and implemented by the National Network against violence against women and domestic violence.
