The Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Jovanka Trenchevska, addressed the conference “Femicide in North Macedonia and the Western Balkans – International standards and court practice – presentation of reports” today. Biljana Braithwaite, Program Director for the Western Balkans, AIRE Center, Viktorija Avramovska-Madić, Deputy Minister of Justice of North Macedonia, Natasa Gaber-Damjanovska, Director of the Academy of Judges and Public Prosecutors of North Macedonia, Andrew Brandt also addressed the conference. , the Head of Programs at the British Embassy in North Macedonia.

Trenchevska began her address by highlighting the decade-long challenge – domestic violence. The minister indicated her commitments and the commitments of the representatives of the institutions and the civil sector in the fight against gender-based violence. She emphasized that despite loud speaking, constant education, in addition to the changed institutional approach, improvement of the legal framework, the legal obligation for due attention with which each case should be approached, implementation of a large number of campaigns to raise awareness still violence against women it is still present.

“It is a fact that my duty as a minister is to create policies. Policies that are based on research and direct contact with those to whom that policy is intended. Hence, together with my colleagues from the ministry, we try to be in direct communication with women, because their stories, specific needs and challenges are the foundation on which we want to create and adapt the system for prevention and protection against violence against women. Trenchevska said.

She also recalled the “Loud and Brave” campaign that was implemented in March by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. The minister shared some of the stories that were shared during the campaign.

“On that caravan, we heard about the forced closing of the home and the inability of a woman to earn, we heard about women seasonal workers who after a hard day had their money taken away with threats by their alcoholic husbands, we heard about acute violence witnessed by children and hungry sleepless nights and weak hands that cannot take care of the family,” said Trenchevska.

The minister pointed out that the reason for not reporting the violence is the fear of the victims, but also the lack of trust in the institutions, cases which, according to her, come down to femicide or murder of women.

“In 2019, out of a total of 5 murders in domestic violence, 3 cases are femicides, in 2020, out of 4 murders in domestic violence, 3 are femicides, in 2021, out of 5 murders in domestic violence, 3 are femicides. In 2022, unfortunately, the number increases and out of a total of 7 murders in domestic violence, 6 are femicides. And this year, in the first quarter alone, we faced 3 femicides, while recently there were 2 more cases,” Trenchevska said.

She called for greater inter-sector cooperation and timely pronouncement of measures after reported violence, both by social work centers and by courts, noting that this is the only way to reduce or prevent femicide as the most serious type of violence against women.