Several hundred residents of the Croatian capital of Zagreb on Thursday joined in the worldwide campaign "One Billion Rising" to end violence against women, and on this occasion they took part in a dancing protest.
The word "billion" refers to the one billion women who are survivors of abuse.
Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, who was one of the participants in the Zagreb protest in Zrinjevac Park, said a special responsibility lay with the male population, notably with male office-holders and other societal stakeholders to put an end on violence against women.
We mustn't turn a blind eye to violence. Violence corrodes society, Josipovic said, among other things, during this event organised by several women's groups.
The global campaign "One Billion Rising" was today held on the 15th anniversary of the V-Day movement, observed on 14 February, by a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls inspired by Eve Ensler's play, "The Vagina Monologues."
Croatian activist Rada Boric said that in Croatia there were between 20 and 30 women-victims killed by their violent male partners annually. According to UN statistics, one in three women will experience assault in their lives.
This campaign is being conducted in 203 countries.
Apart from Zagreb, a score of other cities and towns throughout Croatia were also included today in the "One Billion Rising" campaign.
