Violence against women is not acceptable and can be prevented!

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the United Nations System in Montenegro is calling for renewed efforts to end violence against women.

This year, the UN System in Montenegro marks the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women” by joining the global initiative “Orange the World” and lighting the UN building in Podgorica with orange light for the next 16 days, as orange is used as a symbol of a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls. And we are not alone in this endeavor. We have number of partners in Montenegro, fighting shoulder to shoulder against violence over women. One of them is Municipality of Podgorica which joins us in the initiative by enlightening in orange one of the symbols of Montenegrin capital – the Millennium Bridge.

“Development agenda for next 15 years puts a focus on gender equality and the elimination of gender-based violence, as an important building block to achieve progress in all development goals”

Fiona McCluney, UN Resident Coordinator in Montenegro

She also pointed out that in only two months since its establishment, the national SOS helpline for support to victims of violence in the family received more than 750 calls and requests for support. “This confirms that trust in institutional support is increasing and Montenegro is making steps towards establishment of an efficient and reliable support system for victims of violence in the family,” Ms. McCluney concluded.

The UN works with countries around the world on initiatives to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including in crisis countries where rape and sexual assault are used as a tool of war. It reaffirms its commitment to end gender-based violence and calls for increased efforts to tackle specific patterns of violence in development and crisis contexts, working with women’s organizations as well as men and boys.

Development agenda for next 15 years put in focus gender equality and elimination of gender-based violence, both as a separate goal for sustainable development and as a prerequisite for achieving progress in other development goals and thus in the overall society.

Last year, as part of the initiative ‘Orange Your Neighborhood”: End Violence against Women and Girls’, ‘orange’ activities were organized in more than 70 countries around the world and more than 100 million people were reached through social media, sparking a global conversation, new commitments and initiatives to end violence against women and girls. To focus global attention on the issue, many iconic buildings and landmarks around the world were lit orange, including the Empire State Building, the United Nations Headquarters Building and the NASDAQ screens at Times Square in New York City, the administration building of the Panama Canal, and the Sphinx and Pyramids at Giza in Egypt.