Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. In North Macedonia, GBV and VAWG in all their manifestations remain an area of great concern, despite some notable progress at legislative and policy level. But implementation gaps continue to exist due to lack of specialised expertise among law enforcement officials, lack of general awareness and recognition of the newly introduced VAWG types especially among law enforcement agencies and employees, inadequate enforcement at overall level, insufficient resources allocated to prevention, protection and the generally missing institutional response.
Additionally, VAWG in public spaces remains largely under-researched in North Macedonia. Also, often urban design and infrastructure do not consider the different needs of diverse women and men and girls and boys in the society.
With this project we further analyse and challenge the contemporary state of play and instigate changes that would lead to likely improvements and contribute to a sooner and more just transformation of the urban environment we all live in. We believe that by addressing the contextual factors, providing evidence-based recommendations, and leveraging multi-sectoral collaboration, (W)CSOs, policymakers and stakeholders can develop targeted interventions to prevent and respond to GBV and VAWG in public spaces more effectively.
Overall Objective (OO):
- Building safe and inclusive public spaces in North Macedonia by promoting urban planning and infrastructure improvements that prioritise the safety and security of all individuals, regardless of gender.
Specific Objectives (SO)
- Strengthen the capacity of relevant stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies and local authorities, as well as other (smaller) CSOs, to effectively prevent and respond to GBV and VAWG incidents in public spaces through evidence-based recommendations and informed policies and measures.
- Advocate for improved institutional response, improvement, proper implementation and enforcement of policies and legislation aiming at combating GBV and VAWG in public spaces, ensuring further needed alignment with international human rights standards and best practices.
- Enhance public awareness and understanding of GBV and VAWG in public spaces in North Macedonia across diverse population groups and stakeholders.
This project is funded by Kvinna till Kvinna & UK International Developement, implemented by Reactor – Research in Action, in partnership with Ladybug.