Participants from the Balkan region (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia) were presenting their own methods and experience in collecting and using data for violence against women.
Nade Kachakova, left, of MWRC highlighted her organisation’s mandate to act in line with internal protocols and collect and use data on violence against women. With an integrated national data collection system on domestic violence in place, in itself an important step, the need for coordination among different policies was emphasized, including implementation of those actors in the area of domestic violence that are trying to avoid the additional traumatizing of the victims or their children.
In compliance with MWRC’s lasting programs, MWRC collects and uses information in different ways. MWRC’s web page contains various sections providing information related to violence against women and women human rights in general. The incidence of violence in the lives of women is hard to measure, given the private or hidden nature of most violent acts and the cultural barriers that keep women from reporting the crime.
The general conclusion of the conference however, was that the data collection system on violence against women are not yet in place in countries of South Eastern Europe, but significant initiatives towards this goal are been endorsed as part of national strategies in the abovementioned countries.
Based on proposals for international indicators on violence against women and county level priorities it is important to develop framework of indicators on violence against women in the region of South Eastern Europe, Macedonia included.
“Establishment of a unified central database is necessary. In that regard, UNFPA office in Macedonia within the next year will develop online portal for following and using various data towards violence against women, where Macedonian Women’s Rights Center – Shelter Centar, will have its input by providing information that we already collect”, said Kachakova.
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