Interview with Dejana Stosic, young ambassador of Step Up Campaign / Intervju sa Dejanom Stošić, mladom ambasadorkom Step up kampanje
October 16th, 2018: Step Up! Campaign, launched nationally in WAVE Member countries, and internationally from the WAVE office, aims to step up efforts in Europe to stop violence against women, raise awareness of the problem, and protect survivors through activities which target different stakeholders and decision-makers. This year, a competition was announced for Step up ambassadors. There were more than 200 applications from young people, but only 11 young ambassadors were selected. The chance to represent Serbia at the international level as ambassador of Step up campaign, but also to contribute to the changes in her country get Dejana Stosic from Vranje.
Interview with Dejana Stosic, young ambassador of Step Up Campaign
What motivated you to apply for the competition?
First of all, the opportunity to meet young people from other countries who are working on the same topic as me, to exchange contacts, expand networks of organizations, specializing in the prevention of violence against girls and women and / or those dealing with women who have survived violence and their care (SOS phones, safe houses) and share ideas how to raise awareness of this problem, as well as to find ways in which governments and governmental organizations can improve their mechanisms in this area. And of course, there is also an opportunity for me to work on a larger field.
What are your experiences in the field of gender equality and the fight against gender based violence?
I have been dealing with this topic for many years, because of the simple reason that I believe that there should be no difference between men and women in rights, relationships, jobs or anything. The only difference is biological, which means that there are no strictly male and female jobs, that if a woman has one year of maternity leave, man should has it too, since he is also the parent of that child. We should have equal salaries above all, equal employment opportunities, we must eradicate the view that women are weaker, emotionally and gentle, and men are strong, brave and can not show emotions, we must accept that it is okay for a girl to be first. And we live in a country where women are considered to be less valuable and important, although at first glance no one will recognize and accept it. After all, I’m a girl – if I do not fight for my rights and the rights of other girls, who will?
I experienced about ten seminars, trainings and workshops related to this topic, and now I hold workshops for young girls and young people on this topic.
As the Step Up Campaign Ambassador, what kind of obligations do you have?
My obligations are to promote gender equality, to work to maximize the integration of organizations dealing with victims of family, partner violence and sexual violence. As well as promoting the Instambul Convention and raising awareness among young people about violence. „Step up!“ primarily deals with the organization and individuals for coming out and supporting these organizations, and most of the government agencies and authorities to open as many specialized institutions as possible on this topic. It is estimated that 47,000 places in safe houses are missing in the EU; only 15 to 46 countries have specialized SOS phones for women victims of violence who work 24/7 and whose number is free (0800 001 017 for Vranje and Pcinja District in Serbia).
In wich organization you work now?
At the moment, my basic organization is the Human Rights Committee Vranje, which has its own SOS phone for women victims of family and partner violence, and as a peer educator I work in the Women’s Corner for the Committee for Human Rights.
What is your messagge for girls dealing with violence?
I just want to tell that it’s no shame to be a victim, that you can never be guilty of violence that happened or is happening to you. Do not hide problems, because no problem is solved by silence. If not for yourself, do it because of your sisters, friends, daughters, because once you are silent and gone from the perpetrators, there is a great chance that this person will behave similar towards someone else. Remember, love and respect yourself first and most, and then others.
Step ap kampanja, pokrenuta na nacionalnom nivou u zemljama članicama WAVE-a, a na međunarodnom nivou iz WAVE kancelarije, ima za cilj da ubrza napore u Evropi kako bi zaustavila nasilje nad ženama, podigla svest o problemu nasilja i zaštitila žrtve kroz aktivnosti koje se odnose na različite zainteresovane strane i donosioce odluka. Ove godine bio je raspisan konkurs za Step ap mbasadore, na koji je pristiglo više od 200 prijava mladih, od kojih je izabrano 11 mladih ambasadora i ambasadorki. Priliku da kao ambasadorka Step ap kampanje predstavlja Srbiju na međunarodnom nivou, ali i da doprinosi promenama u svojoj zemlji dobila je Vranjanka Dejana Stošić
Intervju sa Dejanom Stošić, mladom ambasadorkom Step up kampanje
Sta te je motivisalo da se prijavis na konkurs?
Pre svega mogućnost da upoznam mlade osobe iz drugih zemalja koje rade istu temu kao i ja, da razmenimo kontakte, proširimo mreže organizacija specijalizovane za prevenciju nasilja nad devojkama i ženama i/ili one organizacije koje se bave ženama koje su preživele nasilje i njihovim zbrinjavanjem (sos telefoni, sigurne kuće) i razmenimo ideje kako da podignemo svesnost o tom gorućem problemu, kao i da nađemo način kako da vlade i vladine organizacije poboljšaju svoje mehanizme u tom području. A naravno, da mogu da delujem i na većem terenu.
Kakva su ukratko tvoja dosadasnja iskustva kada je u pitanju oblast rodne ravnopravnosti i borba protiv nasilja nad zenama?
Bavim se ovom temom već duži niz godina iz prostog razloga jer smatram da između muškaraca i žena ne bi trebalo da postoji bilo kakva razlika u pravima, odnosima, poslovima ili bilo čemu. Jedina razlika je ona koja je biološka, što znači da ne postoje striktno muški i ženski poslovi, da ako žena ima godinu dana porodiljskog odsustva, treba da ima i muškarac, jer je i on roditelj tog deteta. Da imamo jednake plate pre svega, jednaku mogućnost zaposlenja, da iskorenimo mišljenje da su žene slabije, emotivne i nežne, a muškarci jaki, hrabri i da ne smeju da pokazuju emocije, da je u redu da devojka bude prva. A i živimo u zemlji u kojoj se žene smatraju za nešto manje vredno i bitno, iako na prvi pogled niko to neće da prizna i prihvati. Uostalom, ja kao devojka, ako se ne borim za svoja prava i prava drugih devojaka, ko će?
Što se iskustva tiče, bila sam na desetak seminara, treninga i radionica vezanih za tu tematiku, a i sama držim radionice mladim devojkama i mladićima o ovoj temi.
Kao ambasadorka Step Up kampanje, kakve obaveze sad imas, sta se od tebe ocekuje?
Moje obaveze su da promovišem rodnu jednakost, radim na što većem povezivanju organizacija koje se bave žrtvama porodičnog, partnerskog i seksualnog nasilja, kao i promovisanju Instambulske konvencije i povećanje svesti kod mladih osoba o nasilju. „Step up!“ Se prevashodno bavi time da organizacije i pojedinci izadju i podrže ove organizacije, a najviše vladine agencije i organe, kako bi otvorili što više specijalizovanih ustanova na ovu temu. Procenjuje se da u EU nedostaje 47.000 mesta u sigurnim kućima, samo 15 do 46 zemalja imaju specijalizovane SOS telefone za žene žrtve nasilja koji rade 24/7 i čiji je broj besplatan ( 0800 001 017 za Vranje i Pčinjski okrug).
Da li si trenutno clanica neke organizacije?
Trenutno moja bazna organizacija je Odbor za ljudska prava Vranje, koji ima i svoj SOS telefon za žene žrtve porodičnog i partnerskog nasilja, a kao vršnjačka edukatorka radim u Kutku za devojke pri odboru za ljudska prava.
Koja je tvoja poruka devojkama koje trpe nasilje?
Želela bih samo da poručim devojka da nije sramota biti žrtva, da vi nikad ne možete da budete krive za to što se desilo ili što se dešava. Nemojte kriti probleme, jer nijedan problem se ne rešava ćutanjem. Ako ne zbog sebe, uradite to zbog vaših sestara, drugarica, ćerki, jer kad jednom prećutite i odete od nasilnika, velika je šanse da će se ta osoba isto tako ponašati i prema nekoj drugoj. Zapamtite, volite i poštujte same sebe pre svega, a onda ostale!