Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, participated in a two-day conference titled “Building Resilience through Inclusion and Empowerment” held in Vienna under Finland’s OSCE Chairmanship. The high-level conference was dedicated to the topic of gender equality.
At the panel “Violence against Girls and Women,” Janković presented Serbia’s legal framework for protection against gender-based violence. She reviewed the effects of the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence and emphasized the need for further its improvement. She noted that over the past decade, the Commissioner’s institution has conducted numerous trainings on recognizing and preventing discrimination, through which thousands of professionals have been educated. The Commissioner also highlighted the importance of continuous education and intersectoral cooperation for consistent and effective law enforcement.
“Despite legal norms and protocols, institutions are run by people – judges, prosecutors, police officers – and none of them, while performing their duties, are free from personal attitudes and prejudices. Investing in the knowledge, sensitivity, and responsibility of those who apply the law remains our most important task,” emphasized the Commissioner.
The Commissioner also pointed to the necessity of systemic and legislative changes, as well as changes in social norms that enable discrimination and violence.
Besides the Commissioner, the panel included Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, Chair of GREVIO, the Council of Europe’s monitoring body for the Istanbul Convention; Veronica Teleuca, Executive Director of the National Coalition “Life without Violence” from Moldova; Belma Čano-Sejfović, judge at the Municipal Court in Sarajevo; and Patrick Stutz, Acting Head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Mission in Dushanbe. The panel was moderated by Elmaja Bavčić, OSCE Gender Equality Adviser.
Panelists agreed that gender equality must remain high on the agenda of all key actors, as global challenges require global solutions.
The conference began with a panel featuring OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Maria Telalian, High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kamp, and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Jan Braathu. The conference was officially opened by Vesa Häkkinen, Ambassador of Finland to the OSCE and Chairperson of the Permanent Council, and Katri Viinikka, Finnish Ambassador for Gender Equality.
During the conference, the new OSCE publication “Trends in Responses to Femicide in the OSCE Region” was presented, analyzing institutional responses to femicide and the importance of collecting accurate data. Also presented was the strategic document “Roadmap for Implementing the ‘Women, Peace and Security’ Commitments,” providing guidance for participants on strengthening gender equality and empowering women in the context of security policies.
