The March of the Brave, along with its accompanying events, is primarily intended for victims and survivors of sexualized violence.
It aims to support, empower, and create a safe space for discussions about (self-)care, the causes of violence, and the changes needed.
It is also intended for all decent people.
We want to draw attention to the fact that sexualized violence is a serious problem that reaches pandemic proportions.
Victims and survivors face not only the traumatic experience itself, but misunderstanding, stigmatization
and systemic barriers, too. It is our duty to break down all these barriers and put pressure for correct treatment
by society and authorities.
The fact remains that sexualized violence is perpetrated by men on women in most cases.
This tells us what the solution is. This male problem will only end when men stop attacking women.
When it comes to sexualized violence, the same principle as with all other forms of violence applies: responsibility
always lies with the perpetrator. The perpetrator is always responsible for the violence – violence cannot be provoked,
because the violent person always has another option. The guilt and shame therefore belong to the perpetrator.
Violence is proof of the perpetrator’s smallness, lack of character, and inability to handle situations differently.
With this event, we also want to point out the need for legislative regulation that would reflect that rape always occurs
when consent is absent. Currently, the law requires the presence of physical resistance from the attacked person,
or in other words, evidence of secondary violence from the perpetrator.
Visibility
Visibility means speaking openly about the issues of sexualized violence so that the topic enters the public sphere and is not ignored.
Education
Education helps to understand the causes and consequences of violence, empowers victims and survivors, and enables society to prevent violence more effectively.
Community Building
Community building provides a safe space for mutual support and empowerment for victims and survivors. It also serves as a prevention of suicides.
Faster Change
When people come together and act in a coordinated way, change not only accelerates, but also becomes more sustainable and deeply rooted in society.
Program
Participation in the 3 discussions and the March of the Brave, which we organize ourselves, is free. All victims and survivors, decent people and well-behaved dogs are welcome.
"Self-care, care for others"
The discussion will be held in Slovak.
We start at 6:00 PM. We end at 7:30 PM.
Location: Kabinet Pomalosti in Nová Cvernovka
Registration is required due to limited space.
Ivana Klimentová from Možnosť voľby
She studied social work at Matej Bel University and holds a PhD in social policy, combined with social counseling and social services from the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius. In her practice, she mainly focuses on accompanying and counseling people from excluded communities such as queer people, or women and children experiencing violence. She has worked in various social services such as the national hotline for women experiencing violence, a safe women's shelter, and a counseling center for victims of violence. She has worked with children from reeducation centers as well as people in custody and prison. Her work is based on a trauma-sensitive approach and a psychodynamic direction that explores various early aspects of childhood and adolescence.
Petronela Blahovcová from Moja poradňa
She is a professional social counselor with over 16 years of experience. In addition to traditional academic education, she has completed specialised training in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. In her practice, she offers professional counseling in areas such as individual life crises, partner and family complications and disagreements, as well as various forms of violence against women. She is registered and accredited in the list of supervisors of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (MPSVaR SR), the Association of Supervisors and Social Counselors (ASSP), and the Association of National Organizations for Supervision in Europe (ANSE). She is determined to be the change we/she want/s to see in the world.
Moderator: Alexandra Demetrianová
She focuses on the topics of women's rights, reproductive and sexual rights, gender-based violence and the rights of LGBTI+ people. In the past, she participated in the campaign for the redefinition of rape "Let's talk about consent" at Amnesty International Slovakia, but also in advocacy for better access to reproductive healthcare at Možnosť voľby, o.z. or the fight against the curtailment of the human rights of LGBTI+ people at o.z. Saplinq, particularly following the terrorist attack in front of Tepláreň. In recent years, she has specialized in the rights of transgender people, access to legal transition and healthcare, as well as advocacy at international forums and towards European institutions. She currently works as an independent expert.
Accompanying: Freddie
This discussion will also feature one of our faithful four-legged companions, amateur canine therapist - simply put, a dog - Freddie.
As a friendly extrovert, he will bring a little peace and joy to everyone. We believe that also this form of support can help
create a safe and slightly more pleasant environment.
And of course, all other big beauties and handsome fellows are also welcome.
"Rape Culture and the Necessary Changes"
The discussion will be held in Slovak.
We start at 6:00 PM. We end at 7:30 PM.
Location: Kabinet Pomalosti in Nová Cvernovka
Registration is required due to limited space.
Natália Šmídová from Amnesty International Slovensko
Natália Šmídová works at Amnesty International Slovakia, focusing on research and advocacy. As part of the "Let's Talk About Consent" campaign, she addresses the issue of consent and the prevention of sexualized violence. The main goal of the campaign is the legal redefinition of rape and sexualized violence, emphasizing the absence of consent in sexual activities. She has also contributed to the development of consent guidelines "Consent methodologies", providing teachers with tools—activities and workshops—to educate students about the importance of consent, not only in sexual activities but also in everyday life.
Bianka Urbanovská from Za seba
Bianka Urbanovská is a senior instructor of Empowerment Self Defense (ESD). This comprehensive set of strategies and techniques for acting in the interest of personal safety has been something she has been teaching others since 2018. She decided to offer her experiences, skills, and the strong sense of empowerment that ESD provides to as many people as possible, ideally all women and children, and founded the nonprofit organization Za seba (For Yourself). Currently, in addition to creating courses and teaching within the Stand Up for Yourself program, she is working on completing her instructor certification in the IMPACT program and regularly trains in the self-defense system Krav Maga. She is also a member of the International Association of ESD Professionals (IAESDP).
Moderator: Alexandra Demetrianová
She focuses on the topics of women's rights, reproductive and sexual rights, gender-based violence and the rights of LGBTI+ people. In the past, she participated in the campaign for the redefinition of rape "Let's talk about consent" at Amnesty International Slovakia, but also in advocacy for better access to reproductive healthcare at Možnosť voľby, o.z. or the fight against the curtailment of the human rights of LGBTI+ people at o.z. Saplinq, particularly following the terrorist attack in front of Tepláreň. In recent years, she has specialized in the rights of transgender people, access to legal transition and healthcare, as well as advocacy at international forums and towards European institutions. She currently works as an independent expert.
Accompanying: Freddie
This discussion will also feature one of our faithful four-legged companions, amateur canine therapist - simply put, a dog - Freddie.
As a friendly extrovert, he will bring a little peace and joy to everyone. We believe that also this form of support can help
create a safe and slightly more pleasant environment.
And of course, all other big beauties and handsome fellows are also welcome.
„Posilnenie zraniteľných skupín“
The discussion will be held in Slovak.
We start at 6:00 PM. We end at 7:30 PM.
Location: Kabinet Pomalosti in Nová Cvernovka
Registration is required due to limited space.
Mariana Kováčová from Centrum Slniečko
She studied special education and has been working on the issue of violence against children
and women for more than 30 years. She founded the first crisis center for abused
and sexually exploited children in Slovakia and the first safe women's shelter
for women experiencing violence and their children. She is the director
of the non-profit organization Centrum Slniečko, n.o., which is based in Nitra.
She is a professional guarantor of programs for abused, sexually abused children
and victims of domestic violence, participates in legislative changes for more effective
protection of children and women from violence, and is also involved in education,
supervision, art therapy and children's drawing.
Sabína Lužica Brédová from OZ Prima a Dom Svetla Slovensko
She is a professional with more than 12 years of experience in the non-profit sector. She started as a student working on development projects for the University of St. Elizabeth. Her current topics are people who use drugs and people from the street sex business, stigmatization, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. Her activities within OZ Prima also include moderating the podcast "Beyond the Border" with the aim of eliminating stigma, dispelling myths and increasing understanding. She is a lecturer for the National Institute for Education and Youth (NIVAM) and an external lecturer at Comenius University in Bratislava.
Moderator: Alexandra Demetrianová
She focuses on the topics of women's rights, reproductive and sexual rights, gender-based violence and the rights of LGBTI+ people. In the past, she participated in the campaign for the redefinition of rape "Let's talk about consent" at Amnesty International Slovakia, but also in advocacy for better access to reproductive healthcare at Možnosť voľby, o.z. or the fight against the curtailment of the human rights of LGBTI+ people at o.z. Saplinq, particularly following the terrorist attack in front of Tepláreň. In recent years, she has specialized in the rights of transgender people, access to legal transition and healthcare, as well as advocacy at international forums and towards European institutions. She currently works as an independent expert.
Accompanying: Freddie
This discussion will also feature one of our faithful four-legged companions, amateur canine therapist - simply put, a dog - Freddie.
As a friendly extrovert, he will bring a little peace and joy to everyone. We believe that also this form of support can help
create a safe and slightly more pleasant environment.
And of course, all other big beauties and handsome fellows are also welcome.
"You Are Safe Here"
Friday partner events: We reached out to several businesses and projects – and some joined on
their own – to dedicate one evening to supporting victims and survivors of sexualized violence,
thus showing that we are all a community. That we stand together!
Events will be held in Slovak.
Forgotten stories of women in the resistance against the Slovak state regime
We invite you to a guided walk through the streets of Bratislava, during which we will remember the courageous women who resisted the Slovak state regime.
During the walk, we will show you specific places associated with female figures in the resistance and introduce you to their life stories.
Start: 16:30 in the center of Bratislava (location to be specified later)
End: approximately 18:00 in the center of Bratislava (location to be specified later)
Real Rape Stereotype
The Real Rape Stereotype project deals with the consequences of sexual violence against women. By identifying specific
life events, the author raises the question of the definition of a woman as a victim of sexual violence and through the project
He returns to his own experience with it. He is looking for an answer to the question of how to control the remnants of his trauma from the past, while
She uses photography as a tool for narrative therapy. It combines the view of man as a social being and an artistic output
as a tool for retelling the story of trauma.
The project is intended to be a clear signal that violence against women or its tolerance is unacceptable in all its forms.
When and where? 18:00 in Rómerov dom
"March of the Brave"
We start at 1:00 PM. We end at 4:00 PM.
Location: Námestie SNP in Bratislava
Simona Sládkovičová from Saplinq
She is currently working in the education section of the non-profit organization Saplinq o.z., where she also collaborates on organizing PRIDE Košice. In the past, she worked, for example, at the Open Society Foundation on the Open Schools project. This project took place in primary schools in various locations across Slovakia. Its main pillars were human rights education, participation, and peer education. She also briefly worked at Depaul Slovakia as a community organizer. In the meantime, she volunteered under the umbrella of various organizations or carried out smaller activist projects.
Andrej Lúčny from Ethos
He is an assistant at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics in Bratislava, where he works as a researcher in the field of artificial intelligence. He has an extensive career in the industry as the head of system development. Together with his partners, he founded a company, where he served as CEO for fifteen years and later as a researcher in computer vision at its subsidiary. He is a co-founder of the NGO Robotika.SK. His civic activism began in November 1989, and he also participated in several anti-corruption protests. He is a member of the board of IĽP and the chairman of the secularist association ETHOS, which defends the secular nature of Slovakia.
Ivana Klimentová
She studied social work at Matej Bel University and holds a PhD in social policy, combined with social counseling and social services from the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius. In her practice, she mainly focuses on accompanying and counseling people from excluded communities such as queer people, or women and children experiencing violence. She has worked in various social services such as the national hotline for women experiencing violence, a safe women's shelter, and a counseling center for victims of violence. She has worked with children from reeducation centers as well as people in custody and prison. Her work is based on a trauma-sensitive approach and a psychodynamic direction that explores various early aspects of childhood and adolescence.
Amnesty International Slovensko
It is the largest human rights non-governmental organization in the world, with over 10 million people from more than 150 countries. Its goal is to improve the state of human rights, with a success rate of 33%. Since 2021, Amnesty International Slovakia has been part of the campaign Let’s Talk About Yes! (known internationally by this name), which seeks to change the legal definition of rape in individual countries to one that is based on consent. In addition to advocating for legal change, the organization is working on broader systemic changes through the campaign, aiming to eliminate stereotypes that lead to violence, improve tools and approaches towards survivors by authorities, and raise general awareness about sexual violence, its prevention, and the role of consent in sexual relationships.
One of us
At the March of the Brave, one of us, victims and survivors of sexualized violence, will also have the opportunity to speak. She will share her personal experience – the violence itself, the trauma, and secondary victimization. By doing so, she will highlight this unacceptable reality that affects all of us. It is crucial that we, as victims and survivors, have a voice that will not be silenced, that we can express publicly, thus strengthening our collective power in the fight against sexualized violence. This step is not only about individual stories, but also about solidarity, which allows us to face this painful reality together and work towards a positive change.
FAQ
🔸 Financial contribution: you can donate through the Donio platform, helping to cover the costs of organizing and other activities related to the event.
🔸 Sharing: by spreading the information on social networks or among friends, you will help raise awareness and reach more people.
🔸 Volunteering: if you want to be part of the team, you can volunteer and help with the organization of the march or logistical tasks. Every helping hand counts!
Your support is crucial - together we can create a safer and fairer world for all. 🧡✊️💜
For the three discussions at Nová Cvernovka, we will arrange our own video recording, and we will only film the moderator and the speakers to protect the privacy of all participants.
And as for the Friday events, please see the event description, where all important information should be lister. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the specific organizers directly – they will be happy to provide you with the necessary details.
Thank you for being part of this initiative! Together we can spread a powerful message of solidarity and change. 🧡✊️💜
We want to create a safe and inclusive space for all, but please consider a few important aspects for the discussions:
🔸 Difficult and sensitive content: While the discussions will be conducted professionally and sensitively, they will still touch on heavy and sensitive topics. They may raise questions or concerns about the world, trust, or relationships – not just for children but also for adults. If you're considering attending with your child, we recommend assessing their maturity and readiness for such discussions.
At the same time, unaccompanied teenagers are welcome. We see this as their conscious decision because the topic is relevant to them, and they want to participate.
🔸 Space and rules: The discussions are held in a room full of books, where, among other things, eating is prohibited. If you're bringing little explorers or big troublemakers, please keep them under proper supervision.
We look forward to seeing you and thank you for helping to create a supportive and safe environment for all participants! 🧡✊️💜
You can access Kabinet Pomalosti with the help of a ramp at the main entrance and then take the elevator to the first floor. Alternatively, you can use the rear entrance in a similar way.
If you encounter any complications or barriers, please reach out to us via our Instagram account: @pochododvaznych.
Orange, on the other hand, is often used as a symbol for victims and survivors of sexualized violence. Organizations focused on this issue, such as the UN with its "Orange the World" initiative, use orange to raise awareness of violence against women and girls. Orange is a bright, energetic color that also expresses hope and support for those who have survived traumatic experiences.
Similarly, the figure of Medusa from ancient Greek mythology has gained new meaning in recent years in connection with the topic of sexualized violence. While traditional interpretations depict Medusa as a monster with a deadly gaze, feminist readings of her story reveal a deeper layer. You can read more about her story and its significance on Bez m!drín website.