How has violence against women become routine, recurring news in our country?

Yesterday began like any other regular day. I woke up, made coffee, and started reading the news from my country on a news aggregator. One headline in the violent events section caught my eye: "A young woman was killed by her ex-husband". As I delved into the article, I couldn’t help but notice striking similarities between the victim and myself: she was my age, lived and worked in the same city, and shared my hair and eye color. She could have easily been a close friend, a classmate, or a colleague. She could have been me; tomorrow I could be her. How has violence against women become routine, recurring news in our country?

In 2021, North Macedonia adopted the Law on Prevention and Protection from Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. This law regulates the actions of institutions to prevent gender-based violence and domestic violence, coordinate efforts between institutions and organizations, provide victim protection services, and collect data on women against women and domestic violence. Three years have passed since the law entered into force, yet the data on violence against women has not shown a downward trend. In fact, over the past five years, the Ministry of Interior has received no fewer than 3000 complaints annually, reaching 5300 in 2023. Notably, the majority of reported cases involve women – 3519 in 2023 alone. While this number might not seem high, we must consider the women who were too afraid or too ashamed of their community to report the assault. These are the women we need to reach out to, offering support, a listening ear, and an escape from the “prison” they live in. They need reassurance from relevant institutions that their problems will be addressed, that they will find adequate shelter, and conditions to return to normal life.

In that sense, full implementation of the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) is imperative. North Macedonia was among the first countries to sign it in 2011 and ratified it in December 2017. Amendments to the Criminal Code in February 2023 introduced criminal acts of gender-based violence, including stalking and hate crimes based on gender identity and differences. The regulation of these crimes underscores that violence against women in all forms is a pressing issue in North Macedonia. A recent case of stalking and blackmail resulting in the murder of a woman highlighted the failure of both institutions and society to recognize the severity of the situation and prevent tragic outcomes. The woman was stalked by her former colleague for seven years but didn’t report it due to fear of community condemnation. When she finally did report it, the police failed to recognize the risk to her life, categorizing it merely as a blackmail. A few months later, her blackmailer turned into her murderer.

The competent court issued a commendable verdict in this case, qualifying the crime as a murder committed in a brutal manner, and sanctioning the perpetrator with a life sentence. Albeit, such a decision will not bring the victim back to life. We have come so far but there is still a lot to go. All state and non-state actors must accelerate progress for the commitments made to women and girls everywhere under global processes including the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Thus, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, let’s acknowledge the recommendations it provides in the segment on violence against women and join the efforts of the institutions, civil society, the media, and the entire society to relay this message to everyone: Resolve your conflicts using words, not fists! Your mother, sister, wife, girlfriend, friend, or colleague could replace yesterday's victim in the news articles that will be published tomorrow. Link: http://unwo.men/QzQE50RIcBJ