Brdo pri Kranju, 7 March (STA) - A national conference on domestic violence opened in Brdo pri Kranju on Friday, launching a two-year nationwide campaign promoting measures for preventing violence against women and for a gradual change of the mindset regarding the issue.

According to Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Minister Anja Kopač Mrak, who addressed the conference, Slovenia has made important steps in the field of prevention of domestic violence.

"We have to do even more, together with NGOs and state institutions," the minister said at the conference launching the "Vesna - to Live without Violence" campaign, which involves several organisations and institutions.

The campaign, financially supported by the European Commission, will be carried out by the Labour Ministry and the General Police Administration in cooperation with the state prosecution and the ministries of health and justice.

Kopač Mrak noted that women are more exposed to violence in time of economic crisis. "It is important that we send a clear message that violence of any kind is not acceptable in our society," she stressed.

According to statistics, one out of two women in Slovenia is a victim of psychological violence, while two out of five women are victims of physical violence. The number of women victims registered by police was down from 3,097 in 2010 to 2,315 last year.

Police Commissioner Stanislav Veniger said that despite improvements, the public is still ambivalent towards violence against women. "When we witness violence, we look away rather than picking up the phone and call for help."

Veniger noted that the relevant legislation has been improved greatly and that measures for protecting victims of domestic violence are better defined.

The police commissioner is convinced that the project will provide solutions for many systemic problems, improve the system of preventive measures, and above all, encourage the victims to seek help.

Human Rights Ombudsman Vlasta Nussdorfer said however that not all the regulations have been implemented in practice and that more help should be provided to victims of violence.