Women’s Political Activism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, and Sweden

In period 22- 24 June 2012, in Neum (BiH), NGO „United Women“ Banja Luka organized the Second Thematic Workshop “Women’s Political Activism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, and Sweden.” The workshop was part of the activities within the project „Advancing Participation of Women in Governance and Decision Making and Gender Sensitive Policy Making in Bosnia and Herzegovina“ that NGO “United Women” Banja Luka implements during 2012, with the support of Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Germany.  

The thematic workshop gathered twenty-seven (27) women and men participants – representatives in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, Parliament of Federation of BiH, RS People’s Assembly, Minister of the Family, Youth and Sport of RS Government, Ministry of Trade and Tourism and acting Minister of Justice in RS Government, women representatives in cantonal assemblies of Federation of BiH, Secretary of the BiH Parliamentary Commission for Gender Equality, as well as representatives of the embassies of Germany and Sweden, and international organizations.

Key objective of the thematic workshop was exchange of experiences and good practices of improving participation and influence of women in governance and decision-making, organizing pre-election campaign, promoting and advocating for women’s human rights and gender equality in legislative and executive governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, and Sweden.

Introductory part of the thematic workshop focused on the overview and discussion on activities targeting implementation of the Program Platform of Priorities for Cooperation of Women Elected in Bodies of Legislative Governance: Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Parliament of Federation of BiH, People’s Assembly of Republika Srpska, Assembly of Brčko Distrikt BiH, and Women Active in Nongovernmental Organizations in BiH in the Period 2010-2014, which was developed with support of Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung in 2010. This document represents the basis for public advocacy activities for changes and improvements of laws and public policies in the area of protecting women’s human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Topic in focus of discussions included activities aimed for changes and amendments of the Election Law of BiH, and its harmonization with the Law on Gender Equality of BiH, initiative sent to the Government of Brčko Distrikt BiH with objective of creating institutional mechanisms for gender equality, proposal and draft Law on Protection from Domestic Violence of RS and FBiH, amendments sent on the Draft Law on Social Protection of RS, and Law on Social Protection, Protection of Civil Victims of War, and Protection of Families With Children in Federation of BiH, etc.  

During the second day of the workshop, women and men panelists presented experiences from Germany, Sweden, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with focus on the gender perspective, how women work on gender mainstreaming in laws, and improving its implementation in the practice, as well as ensuring space for women’s participation in legislative and executive governance. Panelists on the thematic workshop were Christian Reissmuller, First Secretary and Head of Legal Department of the German Embassy in BiH, Sonja Kiesbauer, Parliamentary Club DIE LINKE, German Bundestag, Boris Kanzleiter, Head of the Office for Southeastern Europe, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Germany, Natalija Petrić, External Consultant of NGO “United Women” Banja Luka, Nina Genneby, Country Representative for BiH, Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation Sweden, and Davorin Semenik, Secretary of the Gender Equality Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.  

In the final part of the thematic workshop, women and men participants adopted following conclusions:

• To support the proposals for changes and amendments of the Election Law on Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to sent them in front of the group;
• Women representatives of political parties should advocate quotas within political parties, as well as implementation of the Article 20 of the Law on Gender Equality of BiH, with objective of increasing representation of women in all bodies and decision making positions;
• To create network of women parliamentarians (in legislative and executive governance in both BiH parliaments) using good practices of Women’s Council in Germany;
• To continue with the activities aimed for establishing institutional mechanisms for gender equality in Brčko Distrikt, in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of BiH, Gender centers of FBiH and RS Governments, and nongovernmental organizations, and
• To distribute all presentations from the second thematic workshop to all women and men participants.

Text: Nada Golubović