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Violence against women is a persistent problem in Serbia. The numbers aren鈥檛 clear, but in the last decade more than 330 women have been murdered by men, mostly partners or close family members. Already this year, more than twenty women have been murdered and countless others abused. According to some studies, 1 in 3 women has experienced physical violence, and almost half of all women have endured psychological violence.

In November 2016 the Serbian Parliament adopted a new law on the Prevention Of Domestic Violence, introducing a series of legal and protection measures. The legal aspects were aimed at meeting the standards set by the Council Of Europe Convention On Domestic Violence, ratified by Serbia in 2013. Despite the new law coming into force in June 2017, reported gender-based violence is on the rise.

As Serbia continues its negotiations to join the European Union, Nicola Kelly reports from Belgrade on the progress to address violence against women. She speaks to victims of abuse and relatives of those killed and asks what more can be done to address what critics say are systemic institutional failings.

Image: Red shoes in the green meadow, the symbol of the violence against women. By Buffy1982 courtesy of Getty.