{"id":1073,"date":"2010-12-19T22:36:54","date_gmt":"2010-12-19T20:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rwfund.org\/eng\/?p=1073"},"modified":"2015-02-06T22:58:20","modified_gmt":"2015-02-06T20:58:20","slug":"16-days-in-serbia-campaign-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rwfund.org\/eng\/2010\/12\/19\/16-days-in-serbia-campaign-2010\/","title":{"rendered":"16 Days in Serbia Campaign 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

16 days of activism against violence against women<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Performance\u00a0My body my territory<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

Socially engaged performance about sexual abuse of women –\u00a0<\/b>Travelling Feminist Caravan<\/b><\/p>\n

Celebration of the international campaign\u00a016 days of activism against violence against women<\/b><\/i>\u00a0was between 25th<\/sup>\u00a0of November and 10th<\/sup>\u00a0of December 2010.<\/p>\n

Campaign\u2019s theme was\u00a0Militarism and violence against women\u00a0<\/b><\/i>and it was organized in over 60 cities, smaller places, in Roma settlements allover Serbia.<\/p>\n

Reconstruction Women\u2019s Fund in cooperation with Women against Violence Network, Autonomous Women\u2019s Centre and Traveling Feminist Caravan carried out this campaign\u2019s theme Militarism and violence against women, stressing the sexual violence.<\/p>\n

Militarism is just like the patriarchy, a system based on domination, abuse of power and control, the imposition of values \u200b\u200bsuch as obedience, blind execution of orders, a \u201cuniformed opinion\u201d, the hierarchy, machismo, sexism, xenophobia, and homophobia. \u00a0 That’s the way you look at the world around : your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, the whole society.<\/p>\n

It is important to understand that militarism does not begin or end with war and armed conflict and that its autocratic heritage permeates every sphere of our societies. Accept militarism means to assume that each of us has our own enemies and that violence is the only effective way of solving problems.Militarism as an ideology and cultural patterns that perpetuate violence has a particular impact on the lives and safety of women.<\/p>\n

Our<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>homes are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>often<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>battlefields\u201d<\/span>, and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>bodies<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>new<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>weapons\u201d and<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>new<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>targets\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

One<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of the most common<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>forms<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of gender-<\/span>based<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>violence<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>rape<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>which<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>women are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>exposed to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>before,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>during and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>after the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>war<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\/or<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sexual violence includes any physical, visual, verbal or sexual act that, at the time when it happened or later, a woman or girl experienced as a threat or attack, and that she was injured or degraded, and \/ or in which she was taken away control in intimate contact – Liz Kelly<\/b><\/p>\n

In<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>Serbia,<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>according to the<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>Incest<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>Trauma<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>Center<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>every<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>3<\/b><\/span>rd<\/b><\/sup><\/span>\u00a0girl survived<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>some<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>form<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>of sexual<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>violence<\/b><\/span>.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

According to data from<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>the Autonomous<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>Women’s Center<\/b><\/span>:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

–<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>80<\/b><\/span>%<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>of perpetrators<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>of sexual<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>violence<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>are<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>persons known by victim\u00a0<\/b><\/span>
\n<\/b><\/span>–<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>over<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>70<\/b><\/span>%<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>of cases<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>occurs<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>in a familiar<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>area<\/b><\/span>
\n<\/b><\/span>–<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>In<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>87<\/b><\/span>%<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>of rape cases<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>involved<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>a<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>threat<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>to<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>a woman’s life<\/b><\/span>,<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>and in 50<\/b><\/span>%<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>of cases<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>there is<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>a threat of use of\u00a0<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>weapon<\/b><\/span>.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these statistics, women who suffer sexual violence continue to face the condemnation of the environment and inadequate protection of the state.<\/b><\/p>\n

Street<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Performance<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>MY<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>BODY<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>MY<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>TERRITORY is\u00a0<\/span>dedicated\u00a0<\/span>to women<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>survivors of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>sexual<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>abuse<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>It talks about<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>complicated process<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>through which\u00a0women<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with an experience of sexual violence had to go through<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Performance<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>follows this process<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>from<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the moment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of violence<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>by the time the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>woman<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>reports<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the rape<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to the police<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>takes<\/span>\u00a0courage<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>say:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a woman is never<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>guilty<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>for being<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>raped<\/b><\/span>,<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>shame is on<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>the violator<\/b><\/span>.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Traveling<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>performance<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>visited the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>following<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>cities<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Belgrade<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Novi Pazar<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Velika Plana<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Krusevac<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Leskovac<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Nis<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Loznica<\/span>.<\/span><\/div>\n

Traveling performance through art seeks to articulate the issues that we are vitally concerned of, making our art of living, activist art that deals with reality and most directly addresses the widest possible audience. The short and compelling theatrical forms are used, that attracts and holds attention and appeal not only to reason but also the emotional and physical level, seeking to cause a wide range of reactions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wishes to reach out \u00a0directly to the widest audience that institutionalized art facilities and activist actions often fail to reach, results in the choice of space for carrying out the performance – and these are public spaces, especially streets. The idea is to act directly, personally and publicly.<\/p>\n

This<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>year,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the reason<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>go<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>cities<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Serbia<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>such as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Novi<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Pazar<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Velika Plana<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Krusevac<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Leskovac<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Nis<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Loznica<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>perform<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the main squares<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>streets, is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in these<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>cities<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>recorded<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>high<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>rate<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of trafficking of women<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>children<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>sexual<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>abuse<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and violence<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

On 25<\/b><\/span><\/span>th<\/b><\/span><\/sup><\/span>\u00a0of November,\u00a0the\u00a0International\u00a0Day\u00a0against Violence against Women<\/b><\/span><\/span>, a\u00a0performance was held\u00a0at the central\u00a0Republic Square\u00a0in Belgrade.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Performance MY BODY MY TERRITORY<\/strong> opens a tango – “a sad thought that is danced” – in the audio interpretation of the band Gotan Project, to which rhythm performers danced and body movements evoked distressing experience of suffering, terror and horror of sexual abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
In the first part of the performance they reflected the victim, who does not have a choice, no chance to defend herself, the victim is shocked, paralyzed by fear and despair while suffering violence.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

The second part is an audio recording of authentic example of a police investigation, which shows how the investigation contributes to an even greater humiliation and degradation of women, lots of questions like:”What were you wearing?”, “Were you defending yourself?” and the statement: “There will be \u00a0your word against his.”\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The third part of the performance reflects the intimate, internal struggles of women, deep scars on her soul, and the decision not to keep quiet about it, but to fight against the perpetrators and gather the courage to confront him and bring him to the justice to get a deserved punishment.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

MY\u00a0BODY\u00a0MY\u00a0TERRITORY is\u00a0performed by:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n