OSCE Mission to Skopje and its partners call for proactive approach on domestic violence prevention

SKOPJE, 6 April 2020 - The OSCE Mission to Skopje, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of North Macedonia and the National Network to End Violence against Women and Domestic Violence call upon the relevant actors to make additional efforts to prevent domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis and to put in place effective victim protection mechanisms.

“In these hard times, the media needs to intensify reporting about the risks of domestic violence, and highlight existing support services so that victims can learn where they can turn for help,” said Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Clemens Koja. “It is important for civil society organizations to remain available to potential victims, and for state institutions, including police and centres for social work, to work to reduce the risks of domestic violence by conducting information campaigns and keeping services open during the crisis.”

According to the 2019 OSCE-led Survey on Violence against Women in North Macedonia, 45% of women in the country have experienced psychological, physical, or sexual violence by an intimate partner, yet only 2% of victims report their most serious incidents to the police. The main reasons for this are shame, financial dependency, mistrust of institutions and fear of reprisals, as well as traditional beliefs that domestic violence is a private matter.

“Women and children, but also other family members, are subjected to mental, physical and sexual violence,” said Sanela Shkrijelj, North Macedonia’s Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy. “In situations of stress and home isolation, this can further escalate. The Government has increased the availability of services for victims around the country. Potential victims should contact the SOS line at 02-15700 or 02-15315 to seek help. Nobody should feel left alone.”

Elena Dimushevska, Director of the National Network to End Violence against Women and Domestic Violence said that the state of emergency might cause a rise in number of domestic violence cases. “Our organization has launched hotlines to provide help and support to victims in the form of free legal aid (071 464 019), psychological counseling (075 255 154) and counseling on social protection rights (071 324 223). We encourage all women experiencing any form of domestic or intimate partner violence to contact us. We call upon all competent institutions to treat the calls related to domestic violence as their highest priority, and to take all measures to protect the victims.”