Western Balkans · Community of Practice

When violence moves online, the people who respond shouldn’t work alone.

A regional community of practice for everyone fighting technology-facilitated violence against women – across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

The threat is regional.
The response is fragmented.

Technology-facilitated violence against women is not a new kind of violence – it is the oldest kind, with new tools. Abusers use platforms, apps and AI to do what abusers have always done: control, silence and punish women. Harassment, doxxing, non-consensual intimate images, deepfakes, stalking – it crosses borders in seconds. The people who confront it don’t.

Journalists, social workers, lawyers, activists and frontline organisations across the Western Balkans are responding to the same threats in isolation – without shared protocols, without a way to compare what works, and often without secure tools to do the work safely. Knowledge stays trapped inside single organisations. Every team starts from scratch.

This platform exists to close that gap: one secure, regional space where practitioners learn together, respond together, and build a body of practice that lasts.

WHAT YOU GET

One platform, four ways to work together

Community

A moderated, members-only network of practitioners across the region. Join national and thematic working groups, ask questions, and share what works — without the noise of public social media.

Learn

Short, practical online courses you can finish between cases. Earn a certificate of completion in digital safety, documentation, and survivor-centred response.

Respond

A growing knowledge base — protocols, SOPs, templates, guides, research, reports and anonymised case studies — built and shared by the community. Plus a secure, encrypted channel to document and submit case information.

Support

You’re not doing this alone. Connect directly with peers, find expertise across borders, and get help navigating cases that don’t fit a single jurisdiction.

Built for the people on the front line

If your work touches digital violence against women, this community is for you. It’s built for the full range of professionals who confront it.

Women’s rights organisations & activists
Journalists & newsrooms
Social workers
Lawyers, judges & prosecutors
Police & cybercrime units
Healthcare & victim-support services
Academia & researchers
Public institutions
Independent oversight bodies
As a member, you can:
01

Reach the region

Connect with practitioners across the region who face the same challenges you do.

02

Learn, free

Take free, practical courses on digital safety, case documentation, takedown procedures and cross-border cooperation.

03

Skip the blank page

Use ready-made protocols, templates, guides, studies and reports instead of building your own from zero.

04

Document securely

Submit case information through a secure, encrypted channel built for practitioners — contributing to the regional evidence base.

05

Stay current

Track emerging threats — AI-generated abuse, deepfakes, coordinated harassment.

Experiencing digital violence, or supporting someone who is? You don’t need an account to find help.

Built by a regional consortium

Led by Fenomena Association (Serbia) within the regional programme EU 4 Gender Equality: Women’s Economic Empowerment and Ending Violence against Women, funded by the European Union and implemented jointly by UN Women and UNDP.

Fenomena Association

PROJECT LEAD

Serbia — leads the project and convenes the regional community of practice.

LOGO — pending (Hristina)

Woman Forum Elbasan

Albania

LOGO — pending (Hristina)

Mediacentar Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

LOGO — pending (Hristina)

Kosovar Gender Studies Center

Kosovo*

LOGO — pending (Hristina)

SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence Nikšić

Montenegro

LOGO — pending (Hristina)

National Council for Gender Equality (NCGE), Skopje

North Macedonia

LOGO — pending (Hristina)

Catalyst Balkans and Lavit Solutions

Serbia — communications and platform

DYNAMIC

Now home to [X] practitioners from [Y] organisations across the region.

HOW IT WORKS

Getting started takes three steps

1

Register

Tell us who you are and where you work. Membership is verified, so every account belongs to a real practitioner.

2

Join your groups

Connect with peers near you and on the topics that matter to your work.

3

Start learning

Enrol in courses, open the resource library, and start contributing to the community.

From the community

DYNAMIC — auto-populated

Frequently asked questions

What is this platform?​

A regional community of practice for professionals responding to technology-facilitated violence against women.
It brings four things together in one place: a peer network, free online courses, a resource library, and a secure case-reporting channel.

A regional community of practice for professionals responding to technology-facilitated violence against women.
It brings four things together in one place: a peer network, free online courses, a resource library, and a secure case-reporting channel.

A regional community of practice for professionals responding to technology-facilitated violence against women. It brings four things together in one place: a peer network, free online courses, a resource library, and a secure case-reporting channel.
A regional community of practice for professionals responding to technology-facilitated violence against women. It brings four things together in one place: a peer network, free online courses, a resource library, and a secure case-reporting channel.
A regional community of practice for professionals responding to technology-facilitated violence against women. It brings four things together in one place: a peer network, free online courses, a resource library, and a secure case-reporting channel.
A regional community of practice for professionals responding to technology-facilitated violence against women. It brings four things together in one place: a peer network, free online courses, a resource library, and a secure case-reporting channel.
A regional community of practice for professionals responding to technology-facilitated violence against women. It brings four things together in one place: a peer network, free online courses, a resource library, and a secure case-reporting channel.
A regional community of practice for professionals responding to technology-facilitated violence against women. It brings four things together in one place: a peer network, free online courses, a resource library, and a secure case-reporting channel.

The response to digital violence is stronger when it’s shared.

Join a regional community of practitioners building it together.