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This year, the campaign was supported by 85 countries
worldwide in the period of 15-21 June . In these countries
actions took place that had the goals to raise public awareness about
the importance of reducing the use of firearms.
The greatest danger of firearms for women is in their own homes. The
statistics are devastating all over the world and unfortunately, Serbia
is no exception. The data shows that Serbia has 1,150,000 firearms and
that they are, in most cases, privately owned. Every fourth woman in the
Balkans, in partner relationships, had an experience of domestic
violence in which, on average, 7% of them were attacked or were
threatened with firearms. In Serbia in 2003, 31 women were killed by
their partners.
Generally speaking, the statistics show that women are three times
more likely to die a violent death If the weapon is in the house.
Usually the perpetrators are husbands or partners who had previously
been reported for domestic violence.
These are the reasons why the Victimology Society of Serbia
joined their colleagues in 28 countries, to support the campaign to
protect women from gun violence.
On the occasion of the Week Against Violence Using Firearms, the
Victimology Society of Serbia held a press conference on the 18th
June 2009th , at 12 hours on the premises of the Media Center in
Belgrade.
This is the first international campaign that has the aim to protect
women from violence which involves firearms in their own homes. The
main goal of the campaign is to stop people who have been reported in
perpetrating domestic violence from possessing firearms. Of around 900
million small arms and light weapons in the world, 75% are privately
owned, and in most cases by men.
The international network of organizations that fight against gun
violence (International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) believes
that partners and spouses should be screened before they are assigned a
license to carry weapons. This is one of the basic measures for the
protection of women. In many cases, a man has threatened his domestic
partner before the murder or was violent towards her, and this was not
reported to police.
"This week gives the ability to the governement to demonstrate its clear
intention to stop domestic violence and the use of firearms. With so
many victims, especially women, injured because of the use of firearms
in our country, we have no time to waste! "Said the director of
Victimology Society of Serbia, Professor Vesna Nikolić-Ristanović.
In many cases, men are victims of gun violence. But this campaign is to
draw the public's attention to Family murder, the only category
of homicides where women victims use firearms, and which exceeds the
number of men.
On the website www.iansa.org You can find more information about Week
of the fight against gun violence, in the world.
Victimology Society of Serbia is a member of the international
network of organizations that fight against gun violence (International
Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA)). IANSA is a network of 800
organizations, NGOs working in 100 countries to stop the spread and
misuse of small arms and light weapons. More information can be found on
the website www.iansa.org
This campaign was first launched in 2001 and became one of the biggest
events in the world that deals with prevention of the use of firearms.
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