#MeToo in the East? Women's rights in South-Eastern and Eastern Europe

Author: Hana Srebotjnak

In: OpenDemocracy, 2019

The article discusses the high levels of harassment endured by women in South-East and Eastern Europe, revealed in a 2019 OSCE survey, and the difficulty of speaking out. It gives the example Marija Lukic, who accused the former president of a municipality in Serbia and was insulted by 50 of his supporters when she went to court. The author also comments very briefly on short but ultimately unsuccessful social media MeToo campaigns in Poland and Romania and suggests that in Hungary the response has been confined to 'liberal and cultural circles'. She records that the Council of Europe's 2011 Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women was ratified by Serbia in November 2017 and Croatia in 2018, but has not been ratified by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Moldova, Ukraine or Russia.

Available online at:

https://www.opendemocracy.net/democraciaabierta/international-civil-society--week/metoo-east-womens-rights-south-eastern-and-eastern-eur

Log in to post comments
Google Scholar

More from the same author(s)

Hana Srebotjnak

Countries

Hungary

Poland

Romania

Bibliography Sections

Listed in:

Volume Two -> F. Feminist Movements and Protests -> F.5. New Global Feminist Wave, 2017 onwards -> F.5.b. Women Rise Up against Rape, Violence and Sexual Harassment and #MeToo -> F.5.b.vi. Europe

The online version of Vol. 1 of the bibliography was made possible due to the generous support of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC). ICNC is an independent, non-profit educational foundation that develops and encourages the study and use of civilian-based, nonmilitary strategies aimed at establishing and defending human rights, democratic self-rule and justice worldwide.

For more information about ICNC, please see their website.

The online version of Vol. 2 of the bibliography was made possible due to the generous support of The Network for Social Change. The Network for Social Change is a group of individuals providing funding for progressive social change, particularly in the areas of justice, peace and the environment.