Gender in Bosnia and Herzegovina

UNDP and Gender in Bosnia and Herzegovina

UNDP Country Office gender website

For the past years UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina country office has implemented various activities related to gender issues in the country through gender mainstreaming initiatives and stand-alone gender and women's empowerment projects. The successful inclusion of women requires across-the-board policy actions, but especially within education, where opinions and opportunities are formed, and the BiH MDGs set ambitious targets for full equality in education by 2015. In the meantime the UN is working with the newly formed Gender Centres, to reform legal structures, recruitment practices and educate the wider public on gender matters.

Gender legislation and gender mechanisms in BiH

The introduction of the gender concept into institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina started in 1999 through specific activities, the key ones being the establishing of Gender centres with the Entity governments and creating conditions to start the process of building institutional and legal frameworks for gender mainstreaming in BiH. The Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed the Law on Gender Equality in March 2003 with the aim to fully integrate the gender concept into institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Institutional gender mechanisms have been developed and built on the state, entity, cantonal and municipal levels, creating conditions for the implementation of the Law on Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

1. Gender Equality Law in BiH
2. Gender Mechanisms in BiH

UNDP national and sub-regional gender stand-alone and gender mainstreaming projects

1. Implementation of Gender Action Plan in BiH. The opening of the talks with the EU on the Stabilization and Accession Agreement requires further legal and administrative reforms in order to bring Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to European integration. This also includes the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of sex which forms a constitutive part of the EU Acquis Communautaire. Specific results achieved in BiH are related to strengthened coordination between the Gender Agency and entity Gender Centres, which result is foundation of the BiH Gender Coordination Board (GCB) as the model of best practice of coordination between the governments at state and entity level in the country. UNDP Country Office (CO) in Bosnia and Herzegovina supported the GCB in 5-year Strategy plan development which was followed up with development of the Gender Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Gender Action Plan is adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2006. The envisaged project aims at supporting governmental institutions (gender mechanisms and line ministries) and civil society in the implementation of the GAP (vertical and horizontal approach).
2. Sub-regional Gender Project (BiH, Montenegro, Serbia). UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP BiH) initiated a regional cooperation project to attain gender equality in BiH, Serbia and Montenegro. The Project was based on positive experiences of the UNDP’s support to the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Law on Gender Equality implementation activities. Having initiated a rather broad activity, this initiative has, as its result, started a more intensive cooperation between governmental and non-governmental sectors on gender equality issues in the neighbouring countries. Regional Gender Project supported existing gender equality legislation and institutions. The project will also help the capacity building of existing government gender equality institutions in BiH, S and CG by ensuring their active role in the project’s Management, Advisory Committees, as well as in the Project implementation.

UNDP CO Gender Mainstreaming Initiative

1. Gender trainings
2. UNDP CO GM team

National Human Development Report 2007: Social Inclusion

The sixth National Human Development Report produced for Bosnia and Herzegovina examines and analyses the different facets and causes of social exclusion in BiH and provides recommendations for promoting social inclusion. The concept of social inclusion, which is at the heart of EU social policy-making, is very much congruent with both the human development and the human rights-based approaches to socio-economic development. These approaches draw upon economic and social rights analyses and take into account all entitlements relevant for enlarging the choices of individuals to live a decent and meaningful life. In addition, they share a common concern about equity, non-discrimination and inclusive participation.

Published: UNPD Bosnia & Herzegovina 2007. Availabe in English and BiH language.
Link: http://www.undp.ba/index.aspx?PID=36&RID=63

Publications and statistical bulletins on women and men in BiH

Gender STATISTICS of Bosnia & Herzegovina - Thematic Bulleting 03 / 2007

Gender publications in BiH language

See available gedner equality issues publication at UNDP BiH country office webpage, including following:

• Ravnopravnost spolova u međunarodnim dokumentima: Evropska Unija
• Ravnopravnost spolova u međunarodnim dokumentima: OSCE
• Ravnopravnost spolova u međunarodnim dokumentima: Vijeće Evrope
• Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Manual              
• Regional Conference Beijing +10 / Lessons Learnt and Next Steps
• CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN
• Gender senzitivno budžetiranje - Priručnik za trenere
• Gender mainstreaming u praksi - Priručnik

Resources

Gender Roster of UNDP BiH provides a comprehensive and up-to-date list of 

• Regional gender experts and consultants
• Gender experts form BiH
• Gender consultatns from BiH

Gender Library of UNDP BiH provides a comprehensive list of publications, web-resources, links and other materials related to the issues of gender equality, of how the issue is addressed within and outside UN/UNDP. Find more in the Gender Library section here on international standards for GE, BiH standards for GE, Violance against Women, Gender and MDGs, manuals on GE and gender mainsteaming, UNDP BiH gender publications, gender and other UNDP Practice Areas, and other related materials.