On November 25, the international campaign 16 days of activism against gender-based violence begins. On that occasion, we are talking to Vesna Ivanovic Castared, head of the Office of UN Women - Skopje.

Today begins the international campaign 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. What issues are in focus this year?

- The call to unite all actors in activism against gender-based violence is the theme of the global campaign, which begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on Human Rights Day, December 10. Despite numerous positive developments in the field of gender equality in the past decades, violence against women and girls remains the most widespread violation of human rights. Therefore, it is necessary to continue the fight for awareness and eradication of violence, at all levels and on all meridians. As for the local campaign, which is jointly implemented by the agencies of the United Nations in the country, the Delegation of the European Union and the OSCE Mission, this year it focuses on digital violence. Faced with the rise of this type of violence and numerous cases of harassment and harassment of women and girls online, it is clear that dealing with this phenomenon must become an integral part of policies and efforts to eliminate gender-based violence. We all need to become more aware of the consequences on the safety and health of the victims, but also to raise the alarm and encourage comprehensive action, which will bring changes for the better.

Do you think that in our areas there is a sufficiently high awareness of gender-based violence, that is, do people recognize and react to the various forms of violence against women?

- If we take into account the overwhelming data that at the world level one in three women is still a victim of gender-based violence, or the survey conducted in our country in 2019, according to which almost half of women consider that domestic violence is a private matter and should be resolved in the family, it is clear that changes in consciousness take place slowly. In recent years, as a consequence of life in a pandemic and global economic crisis, regressive processes are taking place in many parts of the world, both in terms of the increase in violence and in terms of the deepening of systemic discrimination against women. It is a fact that the struggle to eradicate the violent attitude towards women lasts a long time, but it must not be abandoned even for a moment. At the same time, an essential part of those efforts is to first recognize violence, in all its forms. I would say that in our country, unfortunately, only violence that leaves visible traces is recognized - physical violence, but not, for example, psychological or economic violence, as well as hate speech directed especially at women in political and public life. Sexual violence is not easy to talk about, and the tendency to blame the victim for "provoking" is still present. And that complicates the prevention of gender-based violence and dealing with its consequences, as well as the prevention of femicides, as its most severe form.

Ingrained patriarchal matrices dictate that women have a precisely defined role in the family and society. Do you see a way out of the stereotypes that persist despite the long-standing struggle for gender equality?

- Gender stereotypes are deeply rooted, passed down through generations. They are everywhere, even in the stories that small children grow up with, in the color of clothes, toys, and so on. Engraved stereotypes subconsciously affect attitudes, and expectations in the family and community are based on established norms for gender roles. The solution will come when we all understand and accept that the benefits of gender equality are enjoyed by both men and women and that societies in which women exercise universal human rights and freedoms without restriction or violence are more developed, safer and more prosperous. To get there, we must persistently and dedicatedly break gender stereotypes, which is not an easy task at all, because they are the product of a system of dominance established and maintained for centuries, and are often seen as a system of moral values. Data from the United Nations show that a femicide occurs in the world every 11 minutes. Many girls are deprived of access to education or are in child marriages, which, unfortunately, also happens in our country. The unequal enjoyment of the right to property ownership, the absence of appreciation of unpaid labor in the home, etc. it all stems from stereotypes about the role of women. Therefore, if our goal is to build a better and sustainable world, women must free themselves from the constraints of repression and violence and engage with their full potential in all spheres of life. A better world is only possible if the other half of humanity participates fully and freely in it.

What is the UN Women Office dedicated to in the country, what are your key activities to improve the position of women in our society?

- The office of UN Women in Skopje is dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the country, and in that direction we implement several key initiatives and projects. We provide expert support for the Government in the process of fulfilling national and international commitments related to gender equality, especially regarding the adoption of laws and strategies, compliance with EU legislation and the realization of global development goals. We also help central and local governments to include a gender perspective at all levels of the policy and budgeting process, which means taking into account the specific needs of women and men when allocating funds. As we have already mentioned, one of the central topics in our work is the prevention and protection from gender-based violence, by providing support to the institutions and civil organizations that work on this problem, and it is important for us to hear and include them. the voice of civil society. And of course, in all these activities and projects, in our overall work, dealing with gender stereotypes is woven, because this way sustainable and visible positive changes will be achieved in the life of both this and future generations.