To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, the band Pretty Loud, in collaboration with UN Serbia and the Coordination Body for Gender Equality, releases the music video for the song “Ravnopravno” (Equal) Belgrade, 24 November 2021 – Ravnopravno is the latest song / music video by Pretty Loud, the first all-female Roma hip hop band in Serbia, created to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the launch of the global 16-day campaign. Violence against women is a ubiquitous social problem that cannot be exclusively attributed to any single social class, and one that affects all women irrespective of their education level, socio-economic status and other socio-demographic characteristics. However, women with disabilities, women living in rural areas, women in traditional, minority or Roma communities, who face various challenges on a daily basis, find it even more difficult to speak out about
violence and to seek help. Therefore, the aim of the Ravnopravno music video, released as part of this year’s 16-day campaign, is to send a message to the general public about the various forms of violence against women, as well as to help young people to recognize it and adopt a constructive attitude towards eliminating all forms of violence as they grow up. Ravnopravno tells a story about a young woman growing up in an atmosphere of violence. Told from her perspective, the story exposes various traditional and cultural dimensions of violence against women, which often remain taboo subjects. “All women should bravely stand up and speak openly about the violence taking place every day in various communities. This issue is not given sufficient attention. How do we go about changing this? We have decided to stop the violence using music. Hence we made this song and this music video. We would like to see more articles on positive topics, on women being successful, independent and very brave”, said the Pretty Loud girls. “All women and girls, especially those from vulnerable groups, should live their lives free from violence, should be encouraged to report violence, and should receive timely and efficient protection against it. As the United Nations in Serbia, in cooperation with all our partners, we will continue our joint efforts towards building a society in which violence is not tolerated and perpetrators are punished”, said Françoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. Combating gender-based violence is one of the objectives of the Republic of Serbia’s gender equality policy, and domestic violence is prohibited by law. Despite considerable progress in this regard, many women and girls in Serbia still live in fear of violence and the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic pose an additional challenge for ensuring their full safety. “Violence against women and girls is widespread and constitutes a major social problem. It is, therefore, imperative that we all increase our efforts towards preventing violence, as well as working with the perpetrators and educating the youth and entire communities. Roma girls and women are multiply vulnerable and discriminated against, and are exposed to the most serious violation of human rights – child marriage. We must fight against this, since underage marriages affect the social well-being of a country and undermine the development and future of every girl. The very moment that girls enter such unions, they face alarming risks of violence, impaired health, inability to continue their education, and are precluded from gaining economic independence and dreaming of a better life. Child marriage does constitute a form of violence against women and girls”, said Prof. Zorana Mihajlović, Deputy Prime Minister and Chair of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality. Although gender-based violence is widespread and mostly affects women and girls of various ages and takes various forms, in recent years we have witnessed an increasing number of women who are encouraged to report violence and seek institutional assistance, as well as a developing positive climate in society and communities that are ready to support the victims and condemn violence. The activism and voices of young women, including the members of Pretty Loud, are symbols of the new generations that are capable of changing the reality and creating a society based on equality, in which violence will be totally unacceptable.
The music video for Ravnopravno is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85uoOsHFpaM PRETTY LOUD is the first all-female Roma band. It was founded as part of the activities of the GRUBB foundation, at the initiative of a group of girls and young women aged between 15 and 27. Roma women are predominantly housewives, dropping out of school early and marrying young. Pretty Loud breaks this stereotype. They are proudly fusing rap and hip hop with Roma music to create a unique blend, while combining contemporary and urban movement with the traditionaldance. Their lyrics send straightforward messages on the importance of education, the right to personal choice and independence, and maintain that underage marriage is not a Roma tradition. They sing about their daily challenges, hopes and discrimination, as well as about love and equality. GRUBB works with Roma children and youth to ensure that everyone can achieve their full potential and social integration. In 2017, GRUBB's innovative method was the winner of the 2017 EU Award for Roma Integration.

Each of us, on average, throws 27.7 kg of edible and 80.4 kg of inedible parts of food a year, showed the analysis of research on direct measurement of food waste in households in Belgrade, as well as the attitudes and habits of citizens on this issue, which was published by the Environment Improvement Center. "Observed annually, the inhabitants of the capital throw away more than 165 thousand tons of edible and inedible parts of food. When it comes to edible parts of food, vegetables (10.2 kg), fruits (8.5 kg), bread (4.7 kg), meat (3.6 kg), and dairy products (0.7 kg) are thrown away the most", said professor  Bojan Batinic, PhD,  from the Center of Excellence for Circular Economy and Climate Change, who analyzed the results of direct measurements. The City of Belgrade has adopted the Action Plan for Municipal Waste Management for the period 2021-2030, in which food waste is recognized as one of the waste streams, which provides a basis for further creation and improvement of measures to address this problem at the local level"- said Mr Radojicic, Mayor of Belgrade, and added that this is a very important topic, which should be discussed further. "We often throw food automatically and we are not aware of how much we waste. That is why at a time when we have so many hungry people on Earth, this is a moral and ethical issue. At the same time, throwing away food means an irrational attitude towards the planet and its resources, towards the future and new generations." "Annually 770,000 tons of food is wasted or lost in Serbia, 90% of the total waste still ends up in the landfills, emitting GHG, polluting water resources, while the poorest households struggle to secure meals. The United Nations has been active on this topic for several years through food banks. Today once again, jointly with the UN environment programme and the city of Belgrade, we want to raise awareness and call for action from all state actors and citizens on this important topic. We need new legislation and regulation, a dedicated focus on food waste within Belgrade new waste management plan, commitment from the hospitality sector, and the promotion of sustainable consumption for all. Building forward better in the post pandemic world!"- said Françoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. "The corona virus pandemic has had a positive effect on this bad habit. Thus, every fourth respondent has started throwing less food since the pandemic. In contrast to such a significant percentage, we have 3.1% of respondents who started throwing food noticeably more. However, in general, it can be noticed that a large part of the society has awareness and habits that help reduce food waste, but that percentage is still not at a satisfactory level. There are patterns of how certain demographic groups behave, and that will serve as a basis for further development of information and educational programs aimed at reducing the amount of food wasted." said Vladan Scekic from the Environment Improvement Center. More than half (52.9%) of households throw away edible parts of food less than once a week. On the other hand, we also have 2.5% of respondents in whose households throwing away food is a daily practice. Four circumstances usually influence the food to be thrown away in the end. In almost half of the households, food is thrown away because too much has been cooked and leftovers have accumulated. In slightly fewer cases, food is thrown away because it has spoiled (44.6%), because of the expiration date of food items (40.2%), and because it has been forgotten in the refrigerator / freezer (17.3%). Over 70% of the respondents unequivocally expressed their readiness to separate food waste, if there would be an appropriate systemic solution established. It can be said that there is a general consensus of the respondents that throwing away edible parts of food is a big social problem, so that only 2.3% of the respondents do not agree with that attitude. In addition, more than 90% of respondents agree that food waste is a major environmental problem. Approximately every tenth respondent admitted that he did not care about the amount of edible parts of food he threw away. An even higher percentage of respondents (14.5%) state that they do not show concern about the price of the food they throw away. Finally, 7.6% of respondents believe that nothing can move them in the direction to waste less food. When asked about the motivation for less food waste, there was a significant number of respondents (8.5%) who do not have an opinion about it. It is encouraging that almost two thirds of the respondents claim that if they had information on how to store food the best way, they would probably throw it away less. A slightly larger number of citizens (70.9%) agree that they would probably make an effort to throw less, if they had data on the impact of discarded food on the living environment. Finally, approximately the same percentage of respondents (68.8%) agree that they would probably make an effort to throw less if they had an insight into the price of discarded food. Research findings show that it is necessary for citizens to be instructed as much as possible and as thoroughly as possible in the issue of food waste. There is a lot of room to improve knowledge, as well as to encourage citizens to act in the direction of less food waste. In addition, it is necessary for state authorities to adopt regulations that will reduce food waste, and set up infrastructure for the separation of food waste, in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. These surveys were conducted in accordance with the methodology of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for measuring the global food waste index and will be the baseline for all future research in this area. A survey on citizens' attitudes and habits was conducted in the first half of June on a representative sample of 1,003 respondents, while a survey on direct measurement of discarded food was conducted on a sample of 100 households in Belgrade, during September 2021. The research was conducted with the support of the United Nations Environment Program.
  Analyzes are available at the link: www.cuzs.org.rs/publikacije

Belgrade, 26 October 2021 – On the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the United Nations, the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the United Nations Team in Serbia jointly marked this day at the special event dedicated to celebration of rich cultural and natural diversity in Serbia. The event highlighted the urgency to act together for the people and the planet, reflecting upon the solutions needed to nurture diversity, inclusiveness and solidarity, while overcoming the triple planetary crises – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, as identified in the recently released Our Common Agenda report by the UN Secretary General. “We see our principal duty to ensure that the development agenda, the transformative agenda, is as inclusive and fair as possible, and that truly, no one is left behind in the massive efforts that will take place in the country to transform the society, the economy and the environment we live in. Inclusion, tolerance, embracing diversity and plurality within our societies remain at the core of the United Nations action. These values are the fundamental pillars to strengthen peace, trust and social cohesion. As the UN, we will continue to put the rights of the people at the core of our actions, and we invite for greater and meaningful national and local consultations with citizens to shape the country’s future”, says Francoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. In 2020, the 20 UN agencies, funds and programmes, in partnership with the government  and the civil society, delivered Euro 70 million worth of goods and services for the people of Serbia, including USD 23 million allocated for the COVID-19 response. Looking ahead, the UN in Serbia and the Government of Serbia will continue their cooperation under the 2021 – 2025 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The framework focus on strategic priorities around social, environmental, and economic sustainability, the human rights, gender and good governance agenda. It is designed to contribute to the national development priorities and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along the core principle of Leaving no one Behind. The UN will continue to expand its partnership with the civil society, development partners, the private sector, and local institutions.  "The issue of peace and stability cannot be viewed independently of the topic of sustainable development. Serbia remains committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, as well as the Paris Climate Agreement. We are intensifying national efforts in the implementation of all three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social, and environmental," says Nikola Selaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. “In our joint efforts, Serbia will continue to have a steadfast partner in the United Nations, including its political, peacebuilding and peace operations which I am here to represent.  Partners for ensuring a continuous re-commitment to the values for which the United Nations stands foremost,” says Mari Yamashita, Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UN Office in Belgrade. The Government of Serbia and United Nations are committed to fast track progress in the country’s pathway to an inclusive, resilient, healthy and skilled society where all people meaningfully contribute to, and benefit equally from sustainable cultural, economic, and social development and environmental rights, by 2025 and beyond.    

20 October 2021, Kikinda, Serbia – Thirty-three-year-old Sandra Obucinski is Stefan’s mother. While getting ready to celebrate his first birthday, she recalls how much Olivera, a visiting nurse, helped and supported her after her miscarriage, but also in her second pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Stefan’s birth, because of COVID-19 prevention measures, Olivera has been supporting Sandra’s parenting journey through video calls.    “From the first contact with Olja and the visiting nurse service, I had great help. We talked online, did exercises together, we talked about childbirth, we did breathing exercises. We talked about what I should expect when I go to the hospital, and what I should do if my water breaks before that. She prepared a list for me. She really helped,” Sandra recalls. Olivera, whom everyone calls “our Olja”, has been working in the visiting nurse service for 8 years. Over the years, she has supported hundreds of future parents, but also new parents and babies. The pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the need of families for the continuous support of the visiting nurse service, including how to take care of their own physical and mental health and provide nurturing care to their young children. That is why video counselling during the COVID-19 crisis, when parents were not able to be in contact with other family members or go to a gynaecologist and paediatrician, proved to be extremely important.  “I think it was the most useful for pregnant women because they were scared the most. These video calls were important because they could contact me. They called me individually and I told them what they can expect during and after childbirth,” explains Olivera. Video counselling particularly helped parents who were expecting a baby or already had a child to get support from visiting nurses, even when there was a case of a COVID-19 infection in the family. Olivera says the benefit was mutual.  “With COVID-positive families who had a newborn, we had two visits in person, in full protective gear. The other three visits were organized via video calls. The mom shows us the baby during the video call, we even see the navel and explain what needs to be done. Last year they would very often call us outside of our working hours for advice. It meant a lot to them, but it also meant a lot to us because we could fully keep track of the family. So, the families were not neglected,” explains Olivera. “I think it was the most useful for pregnant women because they were scared the most. These video calls were important because they could contact me. They called me individually and I told them what they can expect during and after childbirth,” explains Olivera. Older children also benefitted from video calls. During a Zoom call, two-year-old Jovana is showing Olivera how she can make balls from her and her dad’s socks, which Olivera taught her to do while the family was in quarantine in March last year. Jovana’s mother, Dejana Miletin, says that the family was not neglected in those difficult times.  “The activities she sends us are very helpful. It’s all the things we can do with children depending on their age. It’s really interesting,” says Dejana The Obucinski and Miletin families are among the over 30,500 families who, for the first time, worked remotely with 143 visiting nurses in the last 14 months via video calls. The goal of video counselling is to empower parents during the first days and years of a child’s life, when the brain is developing at a rapid pace, setting the foundations for future health and education outcomes.      “With parents of newborns, I work on breastfeeding, care, bathing the baby, swaddling, introducing the father and mother to everything that awaits them. And when I work with the family of a child up to one year of age, with an infant, then I have two visits and I follow the growth and development at that age. I follow motor development, fine and gross motor skills, communication. Based on that, together with paediatricians, we can give guidelines on what to work on,” explains Olivera. She says she uses every opportunity, in person and online, to emphasize to moms and dads the importance of early stimulation, play and responsive care for a baby’s development. “Olja counselled us that the most important thing for our baby, apart from hygiene and food, is cuddling, touching, talking, and involving him in everyday activities. Going to see our friends, for daily walks, going to the store,” says Sandra emphasising that the best toy for a new-born is their parents face and voice, and these interactions can be built during the daily routines. Visiting nurse services, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, encourage fathers to become more involved in all activities and responsibilities around children. “Olja’s help was invaluable when my wife Sandra went to give birth. She helped her to overcome her fear. Through those online sessions, Olja helped Sandra overcome her fear of giving birth. She helped us a lot, with how to interact with our child, how to help Stefan burp, how to bathe him. She gave us a sense of security. I’ve been bathing Stefan from day one. I just love bathing my child. I enjoy it,” Vladislav explains. Everyone agrees that visiting nurses provide invaluable, timely, high quality, and focused support, be it online or in person. “I think video calls are important for our service and I believe we will manage to make them not just a project, but an integral part of our work,” Olivera is hopeful. The work of the visiting nurse service during the pandemic resulted in the Institute of Public Health of Serbia - Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut issuing the National guidelines for the work of the visiting nurse service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guidelines introduced preventive protection measures during the fieldwork, but also prescribe video counselling work, which is the first step towards the institutionalization of this service. It cannot and should not replace home visits, but it is important for ensuring the continuity and efficiency of support in situations when a home visit is not possible.  Since June 2020, 18 Primary Health Care Centres have received support for quality video counselling with families. The strengthening of the professional capacities of the visiting nurses was led by the Polyvalent Visiting Nurse Service of the Novi Sad Primary Health Care Centre and Harmonija - the Centre to Support Early Childhood Development and Family Relations from Novi Sad in cooperation with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health. This work was carried out with the generous support of the LEGO Foundation, while the provision of mobile phones and internet was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR).   Written by Ivana Miljković