On the occasion of the two initiatives that the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality sent to the Ministry of Justice, a meeting was held between the Minister of Justice Maja Popović and the Commissioner Brankica Janković. The goal of the first initiative is to amend the Law on Criminal Sanctions in such a way as to prescribe the obligation of the competent authorities to, ex officio, in cases of gender-based and domestic violence, inform the victim about the release of the convicted person from prison, while the second initiative is aimed at better coordination and work of the competent state authorities and institutions for the prevention of domestic violence and protection from domestic violence. Violence against women is one of the most significant social problems and most difficult to solve, a problem that should be discussed at all levels.

Due to the deep roots of discrimination, gender roles, and the perception of women as property, gender-based violence is perhaps the most complex problem, which cannot be solved by prohibiting it by law or by bodies without adequate institutional weight dealing with the situation. According to the Republic Institute of Statistics data, every fifth woman in Serbia experiences violence in a partner relationship, which is more than a red alarm, said Commissioner Brankica Janković and added that violence against women is a topic that should be the focus of all public policies.

Popović and Janković agreed that one of the steps would be more frequent meetings of the Council for Suppression of Domestic Violence, which can request data, analyses, notifications, and reports from competent state authorities and make recommendations to improve the coordination of competent state authorities. Also, one of the conclusions is that stereotypes about gender roles should be fought with greater participation of women in crisis management in all vital sectors, including the security sector, as the active involvement of women is of immeasurable importance for the very functioning of this sector and women’s safety.