Brankica Janković, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality and all the staff members attended a rally against femicide in Serbia organized by the Women against Violence Network, Autonomous Women Center and Women in Black.

These organizations are seeking support in designating 18 May as the Remembrance Day for Women Victims of Domestic Violence and warned that nine women have been killed as the result of domestic violence since the beginning of this year.

Commissioner Janković said that the initiative was excellent and that it should have a follow up, stressing that the Republic of Serbia has a good legislative framework for combatting domestic violence, but that implementation remains a challenge in particular regarding cross sector cooperation.

This rally was yet another way of sounding the alarm bell that urgent action needs to be taken, said the Commissioner and underlined that the message from top country officials that this issue would be prioritized gives cause for optimism. Tackling the problem of violence cannot be postponed and no woman should be a victim of violence, stressed Commissioner Janković.

The activists organized a performance honouring the nine women who were killed by reading their names, pledging that they would not be forgotten and demanding that such things must never happen again.