Ljiljana Raičević

Ljiljana Raičević (born 29 June 1947; nee Petrović) is a human rights and women's rights activist in Serbia and Montenegro. She was the 2006 laureate of Amnesty International's Ginetta Sagan Fund Award. Raicevic created Montenegro's SOS LINE, the first NGO that in that country which served women by providing resources for women in abusive relationships. After noticing that the women calling the SOS LINE needed additional assistance, such a safe place to stay, as well as medical, psychological, and legal assistance, Raicevic established the Women's Safe House, the first shelter in Montenegro for victims of domestic violence. With the Safe House, Raicevic successfully lobbied the Parliament of Montenegro for the adoption of witness protection.

Biography

Raicevic was born in Podgorica, Montenegro. Her father was Milovan Petrović and her mother Lyubov, was a Belarusian from Minsk. They met in a German prison camp and after the Second World War, settled in Podgorica. Raicevic attended the high school in Podgorica where her mother taught Russian language. During her high school days, she played volleyball and was a member of the cultural society "Budo Tomovic". After high school, she entered the Faculty of History and Geography in Nikšić. She met her future husband Andrew Loca Raičevića (d. 1994) when he was a young lawyer; he later became deputy minister of the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior. They have three children, a daughter, Olya, and two sons, Vladimir and Nikola.

She began working at the Medical Institute in Podgorica in 1970, remaining until her retirement in 1999. Between 1985 and 1989, she was president of the Union of Medical Workers. She also served as an elected councilor in the Municipal Parliament for the Liberal Alliance of Montenegro. In 1996, she established the first women's NGO in Montenegro, a hotline for victims of domestic violence, and served as its coordinator until 1999. In that year, she founded the NGO, Women's Safe House, the first shelter for victims of domestic violence in Montenegro. She participated in the establishment of several other NGOs such as the Montenegrin Women's Lobby, "Center for Girls Ksenija", and the Autonomous Women's Center. In 2001, she became a member of the Montenegrin project board for the protection of victims of human trafficking. In addition to working with victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, Raicevic educates police and state authorities on these issues.