Media reports on gender-based violence are most often linked to murders, attempted murders, sexual harassment, and rape. We often see headlines such as ‘Drunk man imprisoned for abusing his wife.’ ‘Pregnant woman threatened and beaten,’ or ‘Woman killed out of jealousy.’ Such news related to gender-based violence can be found in media sources in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and the wider region.
The story could have started like this: I have one child, a son, the apple of my eye, my pride and joy. The story could also have started like this: we live our “happily ever after,” and our two kids are chasing their dreams. Life is nice, comfortable. He has a job and I take care of the kids and the house. We are happy. It even could have started like this: I have a mother and a sister. We are inseparable. We could chat over a cup of coffee for hours.
According to experts, the legal regulations on domestic violence and violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina are relatively good, but their consistent implementation is still necessary, as is securing equal access to the system throughout the country.
Gender-based violence, to which girls and women are the most vulnerable in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is often not reported to the competent authorities, and if it is reported and charges are filed, the sentences are either short or suspended.
The Vrbas Table Tennis Club in Banja Luka, which gives people with disabilities the opportunity to be involved in sports and competitions, has won more than 600 medals, trophies, and awards. Yet, the club struggles with the problem of finding the necessary space for their training.
The Post-conflict Research Center (PCRC), Educator’s Institute for Human Rights (EIHR), the forumZFD, the Haggadah Sarajevo Association, and the Bosnian Cultural Center marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Sarajevo today and the 80th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference.