16 days of activism: EU Info Centre hosts seminar “Women’s Rights along the EU Path”

On the occasion of the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women – 25th November and as a contribution to the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign, the EU Inf...

On the occasion of the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women – 25th November and as a contribution to the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign, the EU Info Centre organised in Sarajevo on 8 December the seminar “Women’s Rights along the EU Path”.

The event which featured renowned women’s rights experts aimed to support constructive discussion on the situation of women in  modern society, and to explore the possibility of improving women’s rights in BiH’s accession to the EU.

In her presentation, professor Dr Godula Kosack, Member of the Board of TERRE DES FEMMES Human Rights for Women movement from Germany, focused on the recent migration wave and the role of the Women’s Movement in addressing the refugee crisis.

”In Germany today we have the highest number of registered refugees in history. Our task is to ensure that our society continues to strive towards full gender equality, with special focus on women refugees’ rights. The Women’s Movement is now especially required to defend their achievements and to make sure that all women are included in the quest for gender equality,” stated professor Kosack.

Sanja Sarnavka, President of the B.a.B.e. Association from Zagreb shared Croatia’s experiences in the EU accession process in terms of gender equality and human rights. According to Sarnavka, this process  presents the perfect time for a country to work on the improvement of women’s rights.

“Accession negotiations should be compliant with EU policies dealing with gender mainstreaming and positive actions, and all the relevant actors, such as civil society organisations and academic community, should engage in analysing and monitoring of the negotiation chapters”, Sarnavka noted.

Jadranka Miličević, President of the Foundation Cure from BiH, underlined the issue of underrepresentation of women in policy and decision-making, noting that women are underrepresented in the country’s governing structures, which is caused by the poor education system, lack of information, and economic insecurity of women, although there are certain indications and campaigns raised on that matter, such as women’s associations. “In the absence of interest, incentives and related policies from the state’s end, this is a small, but important step towards achieving gender equality”, Miličević concluded.

Zilka Spahić Šiljak, a seminar participant, reckoned education as the starting point when it comes to gender equality.

“School books in BiH still reflect gender stereotypes, and often not even teachers understand the gravity of the issue let alone children”, Spahić Šiljak concluded.

The seminar was attended by representatives from relevant ministries, civil society organisations, women’s associations and international organisations.

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanise action to end violence against women and girls around the world. Campaign theme for this year is: “Orange the world: Raise money to end violence against women”.