MagDA – Against the harm that thrives in silence
December 10, 2025
Dear Reader,
Sixteen days arrive each year as a reminder, but the weight they carry is constant. Gender-based violence does not wait for campaigns. It exists in everyday spaces, in moments we overlook, in words that diminish, in the quiet fears people learn to hide.
These sixteen days ask us to stop pretending that harm is distant or rare. They ask us to look closely at how fear moves through homes, workplaces, and streets that should have been safe. They urge us to listen without judgment, to believe without demanding proof, and to honour those who carry their stories in their bodies, memories, and guarded smiles.
Survival is not simple. Healing does not follow a schedule. Some wounds reveal themselves immediately, others appear years later in the middle of ordinary days. Yet these days also remind us of our responsibility: to stand beside one another, to intervene when needed, to shift blame away from survivors, and to build a world where safety is not a privilege.
Sixteen days, and every day after, call us to act with clarity and compassion. Dignity cannot depend on timing. Freedom from fear cannot be conditional. The courage of those who have lived through violence is far greater than the world has ever acknowledged, and it is our duty to ensure their voices are heard, protected, and believed.
In solidarity and strength,
The MagDA Team
Aida Fejzullahu, Editor, DA Alumna 2023
Anja Anđušić, Editor, DA Alumna 2019
Marija Jovanović, Editor, DA Alumna 2019
Under the guidance of Alba Jakupi, DA Alumna 2018
