Project: “Amplifying Voices”
Reporting period: 2025
Promoted by: Rainbow Ignite (Belgrade, Serbia) — Author: Jelena Vasiljević
GREVIO Shadow Report: Rights and Realities of LBTIQ+ Women and Non-Binary Persons in Serbia – Report
This GREVIO shadow report by Rainbow Ignite assesses Serbia’s implementation of the Istanbul Convention regarding lesbian, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer women and non-binary persons, based on a national community survey and desk research. It finds LBTIQ+ women remain legally invisible in anti-violence frameworks, with high rates of fear for safety but very low reporting to institutions (under 10%) due to distrust; no integrated policy addresses their intersecting vulnerabilities; LBTIQ+ organizations are excluded from coordination bodies and funding; education and service providers (police, judiciary, health, social work) lack training, causing secondary victimization; no specialized shelters exist and general services often discriminate; and legal gaps — no recognition of same-sex partnerships, no disaggregated violence data, no protocols for LBTIQ+ migrants/asylum seekers — leave protection and justice mechanisms weak. The report concludes Serbia falls short on multiple GREVIO articles (4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 31, 33) and calls for legal reform, intersectional policy integration, data collection, and mandatory training for service providers.
