North Macedonia: 'We Will Not Disappear' March Highlights Femicide Crisis

• Hundreds gathered in Skopje on March 8, 2026, for the largest protest in the country's history to address the ongoing epidemic of femicide and domestic violence.
• Participants demanded urgent institutional accountability, noting that recent victims had reported their abusers prior to their deaths.
• While recent legal amendments now require the Public Prosecutor's Office to prosecute bodily harm cases ex-officio, activists argue the system lacks the specialized services and political will to keep women safe.

Systemic Failure and Institutional Neglect

• The march included a tribute to Ivana and Katja Jovanovski, a mother and daughter murdered by a spouse/father despite prior reports of domestic violence.
• Protesters criticized Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski for failing to prevent these murders and for putting the onus on victims to report crimes.
• The protest concluded at the empty pedestal of anti-fascist fighter Vera Jocić; protesters viewed the stolen statue as a symbol of the broader marginalization of women's history and institutional indifference.

Rising Statistics and Obstacles to Justice

• Official data from 2025 shows 4,745 women reported instances of domestic violence, with a daily average of nearly three reported cases.
• Over the last five years, authorities have recorded 26 femicides, involving victims as young as two and 14 years old.
• Activists identify economic dependence, societal patriarchal norms, and pressure from immediate family as primary reasons many women withdraw police reports.

Calls for Collective Action

• Feminist activists emphasize that the fight against gender-based violence must move beyond individual reporting to collective institutional reform.
• The movement calls for male involvement in condemning violence and a shift in community attitudes that currently normalize abuse or blame victims.
• Experts warn that gender-based disinformation and the persistent view of domestic violence as a private family matter continue to undermine legislative progress.