On the occasion of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, the Council of Europe, and WeBalkans, together with the Young European Ambassadors (YEA) network, officially opened an interactive installation titled “Sexism. See it. Name it. Stop it.” at the European House in Belgrade.
The installation is designed as an interactive space where everyone can participate and leave their mark. One part of the wall invites positive, empowering messages, while another displays real examples of sexism from public and online spaces. Visitors can add their own messages, support, or personal reflections, turning the wall into a living platform for recognising and stopping sexism.
All citizens and visitors of the capital are invited to stop by the European House and join the campaign against sexism and violence against women and girls by leaving a message on the wall.
Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, highlighted in her opening remarks that anti-gender narratives are increasingly gaining ground, both online and offline, and that the European Union firmly maintains that all forms of sexual and gender-based violence are unacceptable.
“In today’s digital age, we are strengthening our commitment to combating online and technology-facilitated violence, ensuring accountability for perpetrators, and creating a safer digital space for all women and girls. The fight against gender-based violence, on our streets and on our screens, requires nothing less than a comprehensive and transformative effort aimed at the root causes within our societies, our cultures, and our everyday lives. This is a challenge that requires individual efforts for a collective result, and it is our human duty to work toward achieving that goal,” Halacheva stated.
Janos Babity, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, noted that “this wall and the social media campaign are spaces where we can speak out about this issue, where sexism can be condemned, but also where hope, courage, and respect can be shared. “Every day, girls hear ‘you can’t’, ‘you shouldn’t’, or ‘that’s not for you’, simply because of their gender. Today we say: enough. Let us show that every girl’s voice matters and that change begins with each of us,” he said.
Journalist, author, and activist Branislava Antović spoke about the importance of addressing sexism in public discourse, emphasizing that “there is no country in the world that can claim to be free of sexism or to have fully resolved the issue of violence against women.”
Young European Ambassadors Anđa Stanojković and Maja Trajković spoke about the role of young people in preventing sexism within their communities. During the opening of the interactive installation, YEAs Marija Milićević and Aleksandra Grbović Bitić presented the Anti-Sexism Quiz and the game “Take the Right Side.” The Young European Ambassadors were the first to leave their messages on the wall, which were later shared through the social media campaign.
This initiative was supported through the action "Combating discrimination and promoting diversity in Serbia", which is part of the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye" as part of the Block the hatred. Share the love!2.0 initiative.
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