The problem is here and recognizes it!

The violence against women is not yet a taboo topic, but still it does not appealed special interest or attention among the wide population.
The regular institutional systems for protection from the violence in general, and for the violence against women, do not have the appropriate legislative regulation and institutional and professional methodology for efficient and quality prevention and protection against violence. Small number of non-governmental organizations, primarily women’s NGOs, is trying their best through the alternative programs to open this issue, to make a remark of its expansibility and to encourage the women to talk about the problem. But, they are not still completely powerful to solve this problem and to influence on its more successful prevention without wider social support and support from the governmental institutions. The number of specialized surveys, studies and publications is small. In our country, we could underline with the security that in the last several years it is recognized the bigger interest for the professional and research’s’ publicity about the problems with the violence, primarily with the violence against children.
The issue about the violence against women is still on the margins of the social and professional publicity. But, there are not enough basic scientific, practical and applied knowledge and consciousness for this complicated problem. Several NGOs have undertaken programs and conducted projects for direct activities with the women victims of violence, which were targeted on the prevention and safeguard of the woman from the violence. Among the first, the UWOM has gone about this problem.
With the wish to help to the women victims of violence, within the Women’s Organization of the city Skopje before ten years, was opened the first SOS- phone line for women and girls victims of violence, and before five years, within the UWOM, it was conducted the project for psychological, medical and legislative help for the women victims of violence. Multidisciplinary team consisted of psychologist; doctor and lawyer were giving the consultative help for the women victims of violence during the 1999-2000.
This activity could be realized hardly without the financial support from the program FARE. The Managerial board and the other structures, the presidency of the UWOM, the Women’s Center and the team from the Consultative Center for women victims of violence and the victims who in the previous period received direct help and support are very grateful to this program. Without this support, it could not be realized this brochure in which are elaborated the essential issues about the violence from all its aspects (psychological profile, medical profile, different forms and types of violence, the reasons for violence, the family violence and the ways for prevention from the violence).
In this brochure, besides the field activities, the readers will use practical advices related with that how to be recognized the violence, to secure them and to help to the victims. In the brochure are displaced the experiences from the SOS- phone line and the Consultation Center for women victims of violence.

President of the UWOM
Savka Todorovska