For the fourth consecutive year, the University of Rijeka participated in the global campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” which began on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ended on December 10, 2024, Human Rights Day.
The goal of the campaign, carried out by the TPO Foundation from Sarajevo as part of the UNIGEM project, is to encourage dialogue and raise awareness about the importance of combating gender-based violence.
At the University of Rijeka, several activities were held. On December 6, 2024, the University’s Academy of Applied Arts hosted a workshop aimed at all adults who wanted to creatively contribute to the anti-violence campaign and gain basic skills in stop-motion animation, creating animations that express themes of support and empowerment. The workshop was led by Antonija Veljačić, an animator, scenographer, and associate at the Academy, with support from the University’s team for equality, diversity, and inclusion.
The workshop aimed to contribute to personal well-being through creative expression while raising awareness about gender-based violence and prevention. Through the process of creating stop-motion animation, participants focused on themes of support and resilience, with the workshop designed to spark creativity and purposeful action in a community advocating for support and the prevention of violence.
The term “stop-motion animation” refers to a technique that allows the creation of complex narratives through detailed and controlled depictions of movement. In this workshop, this method was used to visualize themes related to preventing gender-based violence and breaking stereotypes, such as recognizing the causes of inequality, building mutual support, and encouraging equality.
As part of the second activity, students and staff were invited to participate in a virtual support space, leaving anonymous messages. These messages could either relate to a personal experience participants wished to share or offer messages of support and empowerment, as well as suggestions for specific measures to prevent gender-based violence in the university’s work or student environment. The goal was to collect these anonymous messages and read them at the conclusion of the campaign, contributing to the creation of a safer and more supportive academic environment for all.
