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United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women - State Party Reports

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Bosnia and Herzegovina - Combined initial, second and third periodic reports of States parties [2005] UNCEDAWSPR 8; CEDAW/C/BIH/1-3 (18 April 2005)

  • Data on women victims of trafficking in people

  • Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination

    against Women

    Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

    Combined initial, second and third periodic reports of

    States parties

    * The present report is being issued without formal editing.

    Bosnia and Herzegovina*

    Contents




    Page
    Introductory remarks
    5
    Article 1. Discrimination of Women
    6
    Articles 2 and 3. Measures for Elimination of Discrimination of Women
    8
    Protection of women against any act of discrimination
    9
    Measures to secure full development and improvement of position of women
    9
    Court protection
    12
    Sanctions
    13
    Article 4. Promotion of equality between women and men
    13
    Protection of motherhood
    14
    Safe houses and activities related to trafficking in people
    15
    Election quota
    15
    Support to women entrepreneurs
    15
    Article 5. Elimination of stereotypes and prejudices
    15
    Family life
    15
    Trends towards changes of family structure
    16
    Average number of household members
    16
    Children born in extramarital community
    16
    Average age of mothers at child birth
    17
    Contracted marriages
    17
    Divorce
    17
    Announcing vacancies
    17
    Role of women and men in media
    18
    Violence against women and domestic violence
    18
    Results of some research
    19
    Causes of violence against women in the family
    21
    Education for equality
    22
    Article 6. Trafficking in women and exploitation through prostitution of women
    22
    Causes of occurrence of trafficking
    23
    Actions taken in respect to prevention of trafficking in people
    24
    State Border Service
    25
    Article 7. Political and public life
    27
    Constitutional and legal rights of active and passive election
    27
    Constitutional and legal active and passive voting right
    27
    Women in political parties
    28
    Legislative authorities
    30
    Courts and prosecutor’s offices
    33
    Prosecutors
    34
    Executive authorities
    34
    Participation of women in NGO sector
    35
    Women in Trade Unions
    36
    Analysis of data for the Republika Srpska
    36
    Article 8. The participation of women in diplomacy and international organizations
    37
    Article 9. Citizenship
    38
    Article 10. Education
    39
    Professional development
    46
    Professional (specialized) training
    47
    Article 11. Labor, Pensions, and Social Protection
    48
    Rights on the basis of labor
    48
    Unemployment and choice of occupation
    50
    Private sector
    55
    The right to pension and disability insurance
    58
    The protection of motherhood
    59
    Harmful work
    60
    Social care
    60
    Article 12. Equality in the Approach to Health care
    61
    Health Care Regulations
    61
    Health Care Insurance
    64
    Basic statistical data
    66
    The health state of the population in BiH
    67
    Leading illnesses in BiH
    67
    Chronically mass non-contagious illnesses
    68
    Contagious diseases
    68
    HIV Strategy
    68
    Health state of the vulnerable population groups
    69
    Health state of children and youth
    69
    The health state of women
    70
    The System of Health Care Protection
    73
    Article 13. Other Areas of Economic and Social Life
    74
    Family earnings
    74
    Bank loans, mortgages, and other financial credits
    75
    Recreation, sport, and other aspects of cultural life
    75
    Women and minority members
    75
    Refugees and displaced persons
    76
    Article 14. Woman in the country
    76
    Article 15. Equality before law
    79
    Article 16. Marriage and family relations
    80
    Parental right
    81
    The property of marital partners
    81
    The division of joint property
    81
    Adoption
    82
    Guardianship
    83
    The entrusting of children during divorce
    83
    Criminal offences against marriage and family (protection)
    83
    Annex I
    86
    The list of laws
    86
    Annex II
    87
    Statistical data and research
    87
    Annex III
    98
    Response to a questionnaire to governments
    98

    Introductory Remarks

    1. Raising consciousness of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina has its historical context starting with 1919 when the first feminist, apolitical association has been formed inspired by similar associations, called “Association for education of women and protection of their rights”.

    In the Second World war, in 1942, the women have established the Antifascist Front of Women. In this period women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or rather ex Yugoslavia got access to all proffessions, the same salaries as men, a full year of maternity leave, legalisation of abortion, and, since 1952 the right to consentual divorce achieved on the agreement.

    During the first multiparty elections in BIH in1990, women were marginalized which was a paradox in relation to the democratic process. The role of women was additionally disturbed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the entry of militarism into everyday life. The war has affected the reproductive and sexual health of women and girls, mainly as the result of the increased sexual violence: rape, sexually transmitted diseases including the AIDS/HIV, and unwanted pregnancy. The crime of rape has for the first time become the crime against humanity. The war has caused that basic social services become unavailable to most of the population, which affected the health condition of women most, but also the whole population of BiH.

    Nevertheless, the women movement gained new energy during the war, through women-piecekeepers, women humanitarian workers, who found the energy and the ideas to organize themselves and to become, in the post-war period the bearers of activities of the identification of needs, finding solutions and resources for the improvement and strenghtening of the status of women and women themselves.

    2. Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination of women (hereinafter refered to as CEDAW), which Bosnia and Herzegovina took over by the succession on 1 September 1993, has entered into force on 1 October 1993. Bosnia and Herzegovina was in the war within the period 1992 to 1995. The war ended in December 1995 with the Dayton Peace Agreement - “General Framework for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, according to which Bosnia and Herzegovina continued to exist as a decentralized state, established on new principles and standards set forth in the above Piece Agreement and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (refer. to HRI/CORE/1/Add.89/rev1. document).

    The state of women’s rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina may be presented by a few general characteristics, as for instance:

    a) Bosnia and Herzegovina has an overall legislative framework which prevents any discrimination based on gender, which has been additionally strengthened by the Law on Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The fact should be mentioned that the ability of courts to apply these Laws so far has been quite limited because they are still overloaded with the huge number of cases. After the implementation of the reform of the judicial system in the country, these conditions have started to change, and we expect these changes in the future to be even more visible. However, there are no separate courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina dealing with employment disputes which could prioritize suits or requests related to this field. There are also some serious opinions that, due to weakening of the economic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina it would be risky to instigate court disputes, because such legal activities might make the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina even more complex. All this informs us on the complex influence of many factors which discourage women. Nevertheless, poor economic situation has not affected the daily increase in activities aiming to implement activities and to plan measures for better protection of women.

    b) Unsufficiently educated population of women also influences continuation of existence of traditional roles of men and women. Education, particularly of female children, was not identified as a need when most of the older rural population was growing up. Women, educated or not, used to be orientated to marriage, housekeeping and raising of children. In spite of the high rate of illiteracy among the older groups, current indicators state that the education level of women dramatically increases. Already in 1991, there were 49% girls in primary schools. The trend increases also after 2000, so that there is 49% of girl pupils in the Federation of BiH and 50% in the RS. The division between male and female occupations is still visible. Poverty is the reason why lately the level of education of both men and women is decreasing, which can lead to further deepening of the traditional concepts.

    c) In spite of coverage with basic form of health protection, a large number of persons is outside the system of health protection, particularly refugees and displaced persons. Women make over 51% of the population, 25% of them being in fertile age. What is in common for women in the reproductive age is the decrease in fertility rate due to frequent intentional abortions, usually the only way of family planning. Sexual education is still not adequate, and the fact is that there is the increase of early sexual activities of adolescents, the increase in number of unwanted pregnancies and the increase in rate of infectious diseases. A special problem in the health sector presents the unequality of health resources in urban and rural areas, the lack of available gynaecological services, lack of education - particularly for adolescents, insufficient level of health promotion, and the lack of a multidisciplinary integrative approach to problems of women’s health.

    d) Family violence is the problem which mostly deepens the gap between women and men. Family violence is directly linked to the problem of poverty and the level of development mechanisms for protection against family violence. The data on numbers of reported cases of family violence gathered and analysed by NGOs compared to the number of cases reported to the authorities are much higher, so it is very difficult to monitor the problem of family violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is encoraging that the awarenes in the society has been raised, so that this problem is paid more attention and measures for prevention are implemented, with first results already visible.

    e) The results of the elections show positive positive development in relation to participation of women in BiH political life. However, in all political spheres, men are still dominant. The established structure of gender centres - centres for equality and equity of genders, has already played an important role in strengthening women. The increasing number of women has been encouraged to participate in public and political life, with support from NGOs and women associations that had directed their activities towards strengthening and encouraging women to participate in public and political life.

    f) Statistical data which would better show the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in most cases are not good indicators because they are not divided according to gender, and are not published, as such, for the needs of public use. The current trend for these data to be adjusted and divided to an acceptable form has got the momentum and the first modest steps have been taken to research and develop statistical data on men and women separately for the whole territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This will also be one of the key activities of the future mechanisms which will be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    ARTICLE 1. DISCRIMINATION OF WOMEN

    1. Bosnia and Herzegovina has made progress when compared to the situation existing in 1996, particularly regarding the design of the necessary legislative framework for protection of women.

    Definition of “discrimination of women”, contained under Article 1 of the Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination of Women is at the same time the starting point for assessment of the postion of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for revision of legislation and examination of treatment of women in all spheres of everyday life, as well as for preparation of adequate proposals for achieving the final goal - creating equality of women and men in the society.

    2. The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in its Article II which is fully devoted to human rights, under paragraph 4 contains the provision on prohibition of discrimination regarding recognition, enjoyment and protection of human rights. “Enjoyment of rights and freedoms envisaged under this Article or international agreements listed in the Annex of this Constitution, shall be guaranteed to all persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina without any form of discrimination such as: gender, rase, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social background, connection to national minority, property, birth or any other status.”

    The Constitution of BiH also confirms the equality of women and men under its provision on prohibition of discrimination, but also directly through the international instruments for human rights. Pursuant to Article II, paragraph 2: “Rights and freedoms are envisaged in the European Convention for Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Protocols that are directly applicable in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These acts also have precedent above all other Laws.”

    The stated Articles should be interpreted in accordance with paragraph 6 of the same Article of the Constitution of BiH, whose provision states that “Bosnia and Herzegovina and all the courts, institutions, authorities and bodies indirectly administered by Entities or acting within the entity are submitted to, therefore apply human rights and fundamental freedoms stipulated in paragraph 2.” Human rights and freedoms from the Constitution of BiH apply in both Entities of BIH who have the obligation to ensure the highest possible standard of enjoyment of human rights.

    3. Starting from the fact that the Constitution of BiH and Entity Constitutions state equality as one of the human rights, the definition of discrimination included into the Law on gender equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, facilitate recognition of situations in practice when a person is put into different postion or is differently treated based on gender.

    This Law regulates, promotes and protects the equality of genders, and guarantees equal opportunities for all citizens, both in public and private sphere of life. This way the standard of protection of guarantees of human rights is raised, particularly regarding women who are the most common victims. It is stated under Article 2 of this Law:

    “Genders are equal.

    Full equality of genders shall be guaranteed in all spheres of life, particularly in education, economy, employment and work, social and health protection, sports, culture, public life and media, regardless of marital or family status.

    Discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.”

    Article 3. of this Law provides the basic definition of discrimination:

    “Discrimination based on gender, in the spirit of this Law, presents any legal or factual, direct or indirect differentiation, privileges, exclusion or limitation based on gender which makes difficult or negates the right of individual persons to recognition, enjoyment or execution of their human rights in political, educational, economic, social, cultural, sport, civil and any other sphere of public life”.

    Discrimination may be direct or indirect.

    The direct discrimination based on gender exists when a person was treated, is treated or may be treated less favorably than another person in the same or similar situation, based on gender.

    Indirect discrimination based on gender exists when a seemingly neutral legal norm, criterion or practice equal for all brings into less favorable situation a person of one gender when compared to persons of another gender.

    4. Establishment of a norm, criterion, or practice that can be justified objectively by achievement of a legitimate aim the effect of which is proportionate to the necessary and justified measures taken to achieve the aim is not considered discrimination based on gender.

    Pursuant to paragraph 5 of this Article it is allowed to set forth special measures in the aim of promoting equality and equity of genders and elimination of the existing inequality, or protection of genders based on biological determination.

    5. Law on Gender Equality in BiH includes additional definitions of discrimination based on gender in Article 4, and it reads:

    a) Gender: socially established role of women and men in public and private life different from sex as a biological determination. The expression gender in the spirit of this Law shows the importance which is given in the society to the biological determination of sex:

    b) Violence based on gender: any action which causes physical, mental, sexual or economic damage, or suffering, as well as threats by such actions which seriously limit persons in enjoying their rights and freedoms based on the principle of gender equality, in public or private sphere of life, including trafficking of human beings for the purpose of forced labor, and limiting or arbitrary detention of persons exposed to such actions;

    c) Harassment: any situation involving unwanted bahavior regarding gender, with the aim and result in harming the dignity of a person or creating intimidating, hostile, humiliating or similar situations;

    d) Sexual harassment: any behaviour which by words, or actions, or psychical actions of sexual nature has the aim or result in harming the dignity of a person or creating intimidating, hostile, humiliating, threatening or similar situations, motivated by belonging to different gender or different sexual orientation, which for the damaged person presents unwanted physical, verbal, suggestive or other behavior.

    6. Criminal Laws in BiH state the breach of the principle of equality as one of the criminal activities directed against human rights. Persons who commit this offence, or persons who “for differences in nacionality, race, color of skin, religion, ethnical background, gender, language, political or other belief, sexual orientation, material position, birth, education, social position or other circumstances, takes from another person any human right or fundamental freedom recognized by International Community or the Constitution, or, based on such difference gives to another person some special right or privilege, is submitted to pecuniary penalty or to imprisonment tof up to one year.

    The same applies to persons persecuting other persons or organizations for supporting equality among people. If the offence stated under the first or the second paragraph of this Article is committed by the official by misuse of his/her position, this person is sentenced to the imprisonment of up to three years.”

    7. The Law on Labor in BiH instilled the elements of international conventions which regulate this matter and which are accepted in Constitutions at all levels of territorial organization of BiH.

    A person seeking the employment, as well as the person being employed, cannot be placed into less favorable position on the basis of race, color of skin, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social background, property status, birth, or any other circumstance, membership or non-membership in the Trade Union, physical or mental disability regarding the engagement, education, promotion, conditions and requirements of work, cancellation of the contract on labor, or other issues emerging from the labor contract.

    Based on the above it can be concluded:

    ▪ that the Constitution of BiH guarantees the equality and women and men,

    ▪ that constitutions of the Entities (FBiH and RS) contain provisions on equality of women and men and prohibition of discrimination based on gender,

    ▪ that the Law on Gender equality in BiH provides a wider definition of the prohibition of discrimination based on gender because it includes both direct and indirect discrimination,

    ▪ that the criminal laws of BiH and Entities define the breaching of the principle of equality as criminal offence against human rights,

    ▪ that the entity laws on labor contain provisions on prohibition on discrimination according to international conventions dealing with employment and labor.

    ARTICLES 2 and 3. MEASURES FOR ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION OF WOMEN

    8. The extensive economic and legal reforms have been realized in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a longer period of time. Securing equality of women is achieved by strengthening of their status, education and their active participation in decision-making process in all social sectors. Even in such environments where equal access to education is secured at all levels, this does not reflect equal opportunities in progress in career, selection of profession, equal salaries, decision making opportunities and equal economic strength. Economic recovery is being realized very slowly, so that BiH population is, partly due to war consequences, partly due to long transitional period, very empoverished, and majority of the population still lives in large deprivation.

    9. Parallel to preparing new laws and regulations, Bosnia and Herzegovina is harmonizing the existing legislation to the legislation of the European Union. This dynamic process of developing new legislative system is the opportunity for revision of the proposed laws and other regulations (regulations, decisions, permanent orders, decrees and instructions), particularly the opportunity for inclusion of new solutions within laws, which will enable equal opportunities for both women and men in all spheres of life. The best example for this is the above mentioned Law on Gender equality in BiH, but other mentioned laws also contain this component, particularly those passed in the last two years.

    10. Article 3, paragraph 5, of the Law on Gender Equality in BiH states the possibility of taking affirmative actions which will not be considered discriminatory, where (gender discrimination is not considered to be a norm), criterion or practice possible to justify objectively by achieving a legitimate goal, proportional to necessary and justified measures taken.

    11. The Law on Gender equality in BiH envisages the setting forth of the Agency for Gender Equality at the state BiH level with the following tasks:

    Develop (State)National Action Plan for promotion of gender Equality, based on the proposals of all state Ministries, and plans of Gender Center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter referred to as Gender FBiH) and Gender Commission of the Republika Srpska (hereinafter referred to as Gender RS); Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees shall submit the National Action Plans to the Council of Ministers for adoption, once a year;

    Monitor implementation and coordinate activities with all relevant subjects from the National Action Plan stated in paragraph 1 of this Article;

    Prepare annual report on implementation of activities on prevention of discrimination based on gender in BiH, which will be based on the reports from Gender FBiH and Gender RS, and submit it to the Council of Ministers BiH;

    Perform analysis of laws, other regulations and general documents adopted by the Council of Ministers in order to follow up on the implementation of gender Equality, and, based on the proposal of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, initiate changes and amendments to the existing legislation in BiH according to international agreements and regulations of the European Union;

    Develop methodology for evaluation of success of the state policy and programmes dealing with Equality;

    Perform other tasks and duties regarding the promotion of gender Equality and achieving the aims of this Law.”

    Until the establishment of the Agency, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees shall supervise the implementation of the Law.

    Protection of women against any act of discrimination

    12. Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet formed any special body or service responsible only for protection of women against any form of discrimination. Many women seek advice from gender centres, especially on issues dealing with divorce, self-support and child maintenance after divorce, employment and labor relations and sexual harassment. It is difficult to prove discrimination based on labor. In such circumstances the Center consults women on their rights and directs them to the bodies responsible for resolving their problems and protection of violated rights.

    The protection of women is additionally ensured through the Ombudsperson as the additional instrument of out of court – protection od women against discrimination in practice, whose competence and responsibility has been justified (refer. to HRI/CORE/1/Add.89/rev1. document).

    Measures to secure full development and improvement of position of women

    13. An important precondition for protection and improvement of position of women is the implementation of the Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination of Women, and monitoring of its implementation.

    One of the basic measures for improvement of position of women, as well as establishing conditions in which women may enjoy their rights and have the same opportunities and in the same scale as men, is to use their full potential for participation in political, economic, social and cultural development and for enjoyment of same privileges according to contributions, as well as the integration of gender equality (mainstreaming) into the existing policies, programmes and laws.

    With this aim, Gender center FBiH, in cooperation with Gender center RS, supported by IBHI, has prepared a project called “Gender Equality and equity in BiH”, which is co-financed by the Government of the Republic of Finland. The aim of the project is strengthening the role and responsibility of gender centre, which, as a governmental body, should be supported financialy and with human resources, as well as in its capacity of influencing decision making, so that it can perform tasks efficiently.

    The aim of the project is to develop understanding of gender Equality, so that all those who adopt decisions at all levels of government become aware of the necessity of integration of gender Equality into all processes of determining policies, laws and decisions, and to increase the level of participation of women in political decision making structures.

    According to this project, the entity governments have established Gender Centers as their professional services. The Gender Center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovine has been established in 2000, and Gender Center of the Republika Srpska in 2001. These two institutions have created the whole structure of gender mainstreaming with approximately 200 persons nominated for gender issues. The structure involves representatives of executive authorities from all levels.

    The aim of creation of this structure is to enable vertical and horizontal linking of institutions in implementation of gender mainstreaming.

    14. Within the structure of legislative authorities, parliamentary commissions have been formed for gender Equality, as working groups of legislative bodies.

    In 1999, at the state level, the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina established a Commission for Implementation of Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the Federation level, in 2000, the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has also established its Commission for Gender Equality, and the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska formed the Committee for social position of women and Gender Equality.

    At the end of 2002, Gender Center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina initiated the activity for establishing such Commissions in cantonal assemblies as well.

    15. All these Commissions have similar mandates, which obligate them to monitor the issuance of regulations and consideration of materials which determine policies in particular areas in all parliamentary or assembly activities, and to define and propose measures which will ensure equal access to both women and men in development process.

    16. Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted in 2002:

    The Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina that obligates political parties to secure at least one third of the candidates of the “less represented gender” in their election list of candidates. According to previous statistical data, women have always presented the minority gender at the lists of candidates in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    The Law on High Judicial and Prosecuting Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina

    The work criteria of this Council envisages that, in case when candidates are selected for positions of prosecutors and judges among candidates with equal qualifications, experience and expertise, the advantage will be given to the candidate of gender which is less represented in this institution of the moment of appointment.

    18. The Council of Ministers has adopted the Action Plan for fight against trafficking in people, which, among other things, undertakes measures of raising awareness as well as measures for full protection of persons who are victims of trafficking in people according to principles and international standards of human rights. The Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees has got a mandate to implement activities related to the implementation and follow up of the conventions on human rights, and therefore CEDAW convention as well.

    19. Statistical institutions (Agency and two entity institutes) have started the initiative that, from 2003, all data gathered by these institutes be segregated by gender, and published as such in their official publications. This obligation has been prescribed under the new Law on Gender Equality BiH for all institutions authorized to collect statistical data (Article 18 of the Law). Statistical agencies have also started the activities on collecting some new data, which have not been collected so far, which will be segregated by gender, through the initiative and support by Gender Centers.

    With the aim to fulfill the obligations prescribed under the Law on Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the obligation to collect, systematize and publish all data segregated by gender criteria. will be incorporated in the existing programmes of statistical research adopted by the entity parliaments for all statistical bodies at all levels.

    20. With the aim of better implementation of laws and policies, the Project of Implementation of the Law on Gender Equality has been initiated. The project proposal has been accepted by the UN group, led by UNDP.

    The Project has a tendency to include all actors from this area to its implementation, both representatives of legislative authorities of governmental institutions and the non-governmental sector. This would be the opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the governmental and non-governmental sector.

    The Project will be implemented in several phases and will include several areas:

    strengthening institutional mechanisms (Agencies for Gender Equality of BiH and Entity Gender Centers),

    training for institutions implementing the Law (judges, prosecutors, police, lawyers),

    education system as special target area (for the reason of implementation of reforms and Strategy prepared within GEEP Project for incorporation of gender concept into educational system),

    state administration bodies (implementation of obligations following from the law and development of procedures),

    media campaign.

    The activities have also been planned which aim at development of procedure for application of the law in all areas envisaged under the Law itself (public life, political representation, employment, social and health protection, protection against violence, etc.).

    21. At the beginning of April 2003, Gender Centers have started their work on the project: Integration ofthe equality principles into educational system. This Project encompasses pre-school institutions, primary and secondary schools, so that, through this Project, gender concept shall be integrated into curricula and textbooks. Besides, the development of manual on gender issues is envisaged, as well as training of teachers and educators. This Project is a part of the overall reform of education and its implementation will start in school year 2004/2005.Its aim is to introduce gender mainstreaming into education systems, first through classroom teaching, where, for a start, one hour in each semester would be devoted to theme of promoting gender Equality. The next step is gender analysis of textbooks and their harmonization with the overall reform of education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    22. In cooperation with entity statistical institutes, Gender Centers have:

    conducted a research “Gender Barometer”, which will give a picture of relations between women and men in public and private life in Bosnia and Herzegovina;

    started a research on family violence. Based on results of this research, experiences and findings of non-governmental sector in this area, initiatives will be started for formulation of legal framework which will regulate this area;

    conducted a research on the theme of sexual harassment within university institutions and trade unions. The results of this survey will help to crystallize these problems in BiH context, and will be published in students’ and youth magazines as well as publications of Gender Centers.The results of these surveys and research have significantly affected the improvement of practices of Gender Centers.

    23. Gender Center of Federation of BiH, at the proposal of the Commission for Gender Issues of the municipality of Travnik, has initiated the process of gender mainstreaming in local communities. Using financial support from GEEP project, the office has been opened and equipped with a computer, for women within two local communities. This enabled the involvement of larger number of women to the work of local community bodies. The result of this measure are two projects proposed by women and accepted and financed by the Municipal Council. One project is ecological - garbage disposal, and the other is security project - electrification of returnee settlement.

    Gender center of Republika Srpska opened offices in Banja Luka, Prijedor, Gradiška and Laktaši with the task to deal with issues of gender Equality at local community level.

    24. Entity Gender Centers, in cooperation with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, and on the basis of Beijing Declaration, have started the process of development of the National Action Plan (NAP), with the aim to establish obligations of all subjects and deadlines for taking specific activities aiming to eliminate discrimination of women in all spheres of social life.

    25. There is a series of obstacles preventing women from achieving their full development, fundamental freedoms or equal rights:

    Long tradition and culture of division of tasks and responsibilities in the family. The primary role of women is to raise children and organize family life, while men take care of material security of the family.Traditionally, female children get less education. The problem of illiteracy of women is particularly stressed. In secondary schools and faculties (universities) women mostly choose humanities, while men usually choose technical and natural-mathematical sciences. Legal (il)literacy of women is also an important barrier.

    According to tradition, women, even if employed, have their role instituted as the extension of family care. In most cases, when discussing professions and jobs, there is a distinct division to “men’s” and “women’s” professions.

    Women are not adequately represented or presented in media.

    The burden of transitional period, concerning the employment, is mainly carried out by women.

    26. The application of the Law on Gender Equality in BiH should affect the position of women regarding their participation in all spheres of social life (economic, cultural, etc). In the procedure of passing this law women from all spheres took part of public life (round table discussions, public debates, participation in Working Groups, work of NGOs, etc.).

    27. In the post-war period, international organizations have taken a series of activities in order to improve participation of women in all spheres of public life. OSCE, in cooperation with the network of non-governmental organizations has started a project – «Women can do it», which trained women candidates at election lists and elected women in legislative and executive authorities. The Government of Norway has supported this project in 2001, and it is still ongoing. Till mid 2003, the project included 2,500 women.

    28. The BiH authorities, together with representatives of non-governmental sector, have taken a series of activities on analyzing the existing laws in order to ensure adequate protection of women and children according to international standards. Working groups have been formed consisting of experts, both scientists and parishioners, from governmental and non-governmental sector, who analyzed criminal laws in BiH, and the family law, and sent their remarks to competent institutions which incorporated them in the mentioned laws. Currently a new Working Group is being formed which will work on the text of the Law on Prohibition of Family Violence.

    Court protection

    29. If it is considered that the rights guaranteed by Constitution have been breached (including gender discrimination, and violation of principle of Equality before the law) either by final, individual act or activity of an administrative body official, or a responsible person in the institution, which, contradictory to law prevents and limits execution of these rights, proceedings can be initiated before the competent court. Proposal for protection of rights guaranteed by Constitution can be submitted for as long as such an activity lasts and the competent court in BiH decides on it, depending on which institution is in question. These cases are processed through emergency procedures.

    Upon the proposal, according to the circumstances of the case and after examining its well-founded ness, the court can issue a decision prohibiting further performance of the activity. The court may issue a decision upon the proposal immediately, without previous delivering to competent body to reply, if the information is well founded. It is important to point out that the appeal against such decision does not postpone the execution. The court has competencies for meritory execution, or indirect execution through another court if the body does not execute the decision within the given deadline. Beside these competencies the court can propose to the competent body to remove the responsible person from office, and it also can, as needed, sentence a pecuniary penalty on that person, as well as other adequate measures (prohibition of work in administrative bodies).

    30. Article 19. of the Law on Gender Equality in BiH has defined court protection:

    «Everyone whose right guaranteed under this Law has been breached can initiate adequate proceedings before the competent court. The suit can be filed before the competent court before the proceedings are finalized, or even without initiating the proceedings for protection before the employer.» Interpreting Article 20 of the aforementioned law, the burden of evidence is not on the side of the injured party but the defendant, what is also a protection measure in the sense of more efficient execution of rights, primarily women as most frequent victims.

    Sanctions

    31. Pursuant to the Law on Gender Equality in BiH, Article 27 envisaged sanctions:

    «The person who performs violent acts based on gender, harassment and sexual harassment described under provisions of article 4 of this Law, shall be punished by imprisonment in the term from 6 months to 5 years. Prosecution shall be based on the official duty.»

    Article 28. envisages pecuniary penalties: «Legal entity shall be sanctioned with pecuniary penalty in the amount from 1000 KM to 30.000 KM for the offence, if:

    it does not take adequate measures and efficient mechanisms of protection against discrimination based on gender, harassment and sexual harassment;

    it does not take actions to eliminate and prevent prohibited discrimination based on gender in employment and labor relations, as defined under Articles 7 and 8 of this Law;

    it does not secure curricula and methodologies in educational institutions which will guarantee elimination of stereotypes in curricula, that result in discrimination and inequality between sexes;

    it does not disaggregated by gender statistical data and information which are collected, recorded and analyzed;

    it does not allow insight to the public access to statistical data recorded under this Law;

    publicly presents any person in insulting, humiliating or derogating way in relation to the gender of the person.

    32. For breach under paragraph 1 of this Article the responsible person shall be sanctioned within the legal entity with pecuniary penalty in the amount from 100 KM to 1000KM, as well as individuals who individually perform their individual work using resources owned by citizens.

    None of the provisions of this Article can be interpreted as limiting or reducing the right to criminal or administrative proceedings, under the conditions prescribed by this Law.

    Conclusion:

    Based on the above, it can be concluded:

    That the state of BiH takes actions to ensure Equality of women and men in BiH.

    These measures relate to preparations of laws and other regulations with the aim to harmonize domestic legislation with the EU legislation.

    Establishment of Agency for gender Equality in BiH practically establishes machinery for ensuring better protection. The measures of positive action have been taken in the areas where such intervention is necessary to improve the position of women in BiH.

    Organizing and functioning of Gender Centers in the Entities (FBiH and RS). Their primary task is, together with other activities, to integrate gender Equality into laws, programmes and policies in BiH.

    ARTICLE 4. PROMOTION OF EQUALITY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN

    33. Bosnia and Herzegovina has made a significant progress in guaranteing legal Equality to women, since de jure there were no obstacles for strengthening position of women in society and their affirmation.

    De facto condition, considering the statistics in some areas of life, indicates that the position of women in BiH society has stagnated, particularly after the war, and their participation in public life has been reduced to the disturbingly low level. Nevertheless, through a slow economic recovery, and strengthening of women’s non-governmental sector and civic social actions, in some segments of public life the conditions are improving faster, in some segments of public life, particularly in strengthening political postion of women and more equal involvement in all forms of organization of authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, women have considerably improved their position.

    In the earlier period, within employment legislation of BiH women have been guaranteed equal salary for equal work and ensured special protection of motherhood, health and social protection based on the same principles.

    Protection of motherhood

    34. Provisions of entity laws on labor guarantee special protection of women and motherhood, and these provisions relate to:

    prohibition of work in underground parts of the mines for women;

    prohibition of discrimination of women at employment or dissmisal from work for reasons of pregnancy or use of maternity leave;

    right to temporary assignment during pregnancy and while breastfeeding upon the proposal of authorised medical doctor;

    maternity leave in duration of one continuous year, and, in case of twins, for the third and every next child, in duration of continuous 18 months;

    right of woman to start working before the expiration of maternity leave, and right of woman to additional leave beside the daily rest lasting for 60 munutes for breastfeeding the baby;

    right of woman to shorter working hours after the expiration of maternity leave for baby care according to the findings and opinion of the authorised medical doctor (Articles 70-79 of the Law).

    Prohibition of work harmful for women, as provisional measure, has been established under the Law on Labor and Law on Protection at Work, with the aim of protecting women and their health during the period of exceptional circumstances, and relates to prohibition of overtime work to pregnant women and mothers with children under three years of age, prohibition of night work for pregnant women starting with the sixth month of pregnancy and mothers with child under one year of age. With the aim of protection of health of woman, a permanent measure in the Law on Labor is the prohibition of work in underground parts of mine, except in case if a woman is in a managing position which does not require physical work, or in services of health and social protection. Prohibition of harmful work, or provisions on prohibition of such work are in accordance with Conventions of the International Labor Organization, as follows: Convention on Employment of Women Before and After Child Birth no 3 from 1919, Convention on Protection of Motherhood no. 103 from 1952, Convention on Employment of Women on Underground Parts of Mines of all Categories no.45 from 1935, and Convention on Night Work of Women Employed in Industry no. 89, revised in 1948, whose provisions are incorporated in the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    Protection of child-bearing woman and a child is fully regulated by laws. Law on labor regulates protection and rights of the employed child-bearing woman, while the law on protection of children regulates and establishes rights of the child and unemployed child-bearing woman.

    Basic rights of employed child-bearing woman are:

    Counseling services for woman as way of support in exercising women rights has not been envisaged by laws, but this activity is dealt with organizations which promote and protect rights of women as non-governmental organizations which are focused on work and support to women.

    35. The increased violence against women is one of the largest problems that Bosnia and Herzegovina, in relation to promotion and protection of rights of women is. Reform od laws in the area of criminal legislation facilitated implementation of measures on prevention of violence against women, but the framework for better and more efficient protection has not been achieved yet considering that the change of legislative framework has not defined possibility of issuing provisional measures for more efficient protection of victims of violence and that practice of protection of women based on new principles has not been yet developed enough.

    36. Good practice, which helps the improvement of conditions in this area is the introduction of SOS telephone lines for victims of violence, that functions in almost all larger cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    Safe houses and activities related to trafficking in people

    37. Bosnia and Herzegovina had no previous experience with traficking in people which it faced in the period after 1996. Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Action Plan for Prevention of Trafficking in People in Bosnia and Herzegovina and formed a State Commission for monitoring the application of the Action Plan for prevention of trafficking in people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At entity Ministries of Interior there are Task Forces acting on prevention of trafficking in people and prostitution, as well as STOP teams involving representatives of Ministries of Interior and international community - European Police EUPM.

    38. In order to suppress trafficking in people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and implement more active and efficient measures, the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has appointed a State Coordinator for BiH in June 2003.

    Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees has supported eight local non-governmental organizations which have capacities for taking care of victims of trafficking in people in Bosnia and Herzegovina (capacity for 100 victims), and concluded the protocol on cooperation with them. The largest problem is that financial resources are missing for the plan made by the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In order to ensure adequate protection for the victims of trafficking, a Provisional Instruction has been issued for treatment of victims of trafficking with the basic aim to prevent discrimination and protect the victims (women and girls) who are the most usual victims of this organized crime. The annual work plan of activities has already been developed (for 2003), and aims to include and strengthen the capacities of newly formed Ministry of Security of BiH, which is in charge for coordination with entity ministries of interior and implementation of activities on prevention of organized crime and trafficking in people.

    Election quota

    39. The Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina prescribes that every list of candidates has to include both male and female candidates. Candidate of gender that is less represented is part of the lists of candidates in the following manner: at least one candidate of less represented gender among the first two candidates, two candidates of less represented gender among the first five candidates, and three candidates of less represented gender among the first eight candidates, etc. The number of candidates of the less represented gender has to be at least equal to the total number of candidates in the list divided by three, rounded to the first lower whole number.

    Support to women entrepreneurs

    40. The entity Gender Centers have also developed a training programme and support for women entrepreneurs, with the aim to enable them to independently manage the new and expanse the existing business in small and medium enterprises. The aim of the project is to improve the economic status of women by raising the level of their knowledge and information that are more easily accessed by male population.

    ARTICLE 5. ELIMINATION OF STEREOPTYPES AND PREJUDICES

    Bosnia and Herzegovina is a multiethnic and multireligious country where tradition and culture have a significant influence on behavior of women and men and are deeply rooted in the collective consciousness. In the minds of women preservation of family and raising of children are their priority tasks, placed in the sphere of strict privacy.

    Family life

    41. Traditional gender division of roles and duties still exists in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What a man does in the family are tasks of technical nature (fixing things in the apartment or house or outside the apartment or house), and taking care of financial matters. Women deal more often with cooking, washing, ironing, or work classified as “routine”. Division of work related to care and raising of children is balanced between the partners although women still do most of the care of elderly persons and children in the family, that is, they still have the role of the informal guardian.

    42. Research project with the title “Quality of life” completed in 1994, included the question “Who is doing the tasks of cleaning the house, cooking, washing laundry, daily buying groceries etc., in your household?” According to the results of the research, 32,8% men share these tasks with their wives, while 39,3% of men fully leaves these tasks completely to their female partners.

    43. Declaratively, young people are more prone to division of duties in the household on equal footage. Young people who were involved in the programme called “Life and system of values of student population” refuse the “patriarchal” concept of family according to which a father supports a family in the material sense while a mother takes care of the household and the children (83,7%) and support equal division of work in the household (73,6%).

    Trends towards changes of family structure

    44. Bosnia and Herzegovina is characterized by intensive pluralization of family forms and family life styles. Besides “classic” family, a community of married spouses with children, which is still a dominant family form, the number of single parents is increasing, as well as extended or reorganized families, and extramarital communities. Trends that reflect these changes in family structures are similar to those characteristic of West-European countries. Official statistical data that follow up on these changes, as part of indicators of demographic changes, indicate the following:

    1. decrease in average number of household members,

    2. increase in number of extramarital children,

    3. increase in average age of mothers at child birth and first child birth,

    4. decrease in number of entered marriages,

    5. decrease in number of divorces.

    Average number of household members

    45. In the pre-war period, the average number of persons living in a household recorded a continuous fall. According to data for 1991, the average number of persons per household was 3.1, while according to the census from 1931 this number was 4.9. One of the factors which influence the decrease in number of persons in the household is the decrease in number of children born in the family; the average is 1.3 children per family (census from 1991). The situation is similar with data on the number of live born children per woman.

    Children born in extramarital community

    46. In a pre-war period, from 1980 to 1992, there was the increase in number of children born out of extramarital community in Bosnia and Herzegovina . However, in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of children born in extramarital community has decreased in the period from 1996-2001.

    In the Republika Srpska the number of children born in extramarital community has also decreased in the period from 1996 to 2002. In 1996, out of 12,324 of total number of born children, 1,762 or 14,3% were born in extramarital community.

    In 2002 out of 12,376 of total number of born children, 1,415 or 11,5% was born in extramarital community.

    Children born in marriage are only those children who were born in marriage concluded in accordance with provisions of Basic Law on Marriage.

    In 1996, out of 30.481 newborn babies, 26,631 or 87,37% babies were born in marriage, and 3,850 or 12,63% in extramarital community. In 2001, from the total of 24,134 babies, 21,531 or 89,21% were born in marriage, and 2,487 or 10,79% in extramarital community.

    It is estimated that 1996. is the year with the largest number of extramarital children because of war caused migrations (large number of separated families, refugees and displaced persons).

    Average age of mothers at child birth

    47. The average age of partners at their first child birth is 26. The average age of mothers at their first child birth is 24, while the average age of mothers at their second child birth is 27. We can state that, in spite of economic problems which present the obstacle to starting families (housing problems, unemployment, etc) the average age of mothers at their first child birth is under the average of West-European countries. Here we should have in mind the differences between rural and urban areas. It is estimated that the age of mothers in urban areas at their first child birth is closer to the average in West-European countries.

    Contracted marriages

    48. We have already mentioned that the institution of marriage is loosing its importance, but this does not mean the decline of importance which people attribute to family life. Nevertheless, this undoubtedly shows the existence of pluralization of family forms, which is confirmed by the data on the slight decrease in the number of new marriages. The data from 1996 show that at the territory of FBiH there were 14,692 new contracted marriages, and in 2000 there were 13,894.

    In Republika Srpska in 1996 there were 6415 new marriages, and in 2002 there were 8003, which indicates to the increase in the number of new contracted marriages. Most women get married at the age between 25 - 29.

    The age of both men and women who get married today is increasing. Most women presently get married at the age between 20 - 24, and most men get married at the age between 25 - 29.

    Divorce

    49. The increase in number of divorced marriages has been registered in the period between 1996 and 2002. In 1996, there were 378 divorces. Already in 1997, the number increases to 1,098, and in 2002 to 1,286 divorces. The main causes of this trend in divorces in Bosnia and Herzegovina are the consequences of war events. During the war many families separated for a longer period. Many spouses started the extramarital affairs with other partners which led to the increase in number of divorces after the cessation of war activities and possibility of reunion of families.

    In the structure of divorced marriages in 2002, when 1,286 divorces were registered, marriages without children are dominant - 512 cases, 355 with one child, and 312 with two or more children.

    Republika Srpska has data on divorced marriages for the period from 1997 to 2002. In 1997, there were 737 divorces, and in 2oo2 there were 848 divorced marriages. From the above data we can not reliably claim that there was a slight increase in number of divorces (this may be seen from the attached table through years, where the number of divorced marriages through years is varying, with the important role of the legal proceedings and court efficiency).

    In the structure of divorced marriages in 2oo2 out of the total of 848 divorces, 415 is without children, 228 with one child, 163 with two children and 42 with three or more children.

    Announcing vacancies

    50. In Bosnia and Herzegovina announcing vacancies still involves gender as one of the issues preferring one specific gender, with similar discrimination existing regarding the age.

    Announcing vacancies conveys a message by which men and women are presented in different social roles, based on the traditional division of roles between genders.

    51. One of the strategies for attracting attention to product or service in Bosnia and Herzegovina is involvement of persons who are not directly connected to what is being announced or advertised, but part of the decoration or esthetics. In order to achieve this effect, advertisers often use sexual connotations.

    52. The applicable laws on labor prohibit employers to announce vacancies only for men or only for women, unless a specific gender is a necessary condition for performance of a specific task. The same laws prescribe pecuniary penalty for the employer who puts a person in an unfavorable position based on gender identity.

    Role of women and men in media

    53. Bosnian and Herzegovinian media space has undergone a relatively small number of researches on the image of gender in media, gender structure of designers of media contents, distribution of authorities for decision making between genders in media campaigns and socialization of effects of media from the point of view of the role of women and men. Among the state institutions Gender Centers were the first to have conducted the analysis of TV channels, as well as structures of managerial positions in electronic media in 2002.

    54. The image of women and men in media which create public opinion is mainly different, but some common characteristics may be noticed. Regarding leading positions and professional knowledge, media more often focus on men – which partly reflects “social reality”, but partly also “apparently sexist approach and particularly the result of non existing policy planned for unequal opportunities in the sphere of public media”. On the other hand, women, who were given less space in socially important matters dominate in the presentation of the private sphere. In this sphere they are presented in the role of mothers, housewives, consumers, passive companions of their husbands, etc.

    Violence against women and domestic violence

    55. Pursuant to the draft UN Declaration on Elimination of Violence Against Women, violence is considered to be «any act of violence based on gender, which results or may result in physical, sexual of psychical injury or suffering of woman». Violence can therefore be determined according to the consequences it causes, not the place where it is happening. Since most violence takes place in the family, it is important to underline that «from this point of view, family violence presents any form of control or dominance which jeopardizes or injures physical or moral integrity of woman in the family». (Lukić, 1997.)

    56. In spite of relatively solid legislation concerning the criminal code and family relations, practice is, however, different. Bosnia and Herzegovina, unfortunately does not have established institutions dealing with family violence and prepared to provide support to victims of such violence. Centres for social work, which are organized on the territorial principle and exist in every municipality, function on the basis of the Law on Social and Children protection. Their scope of work is set forth by the above laws, they are financed from the budget, but financial resources available to them are mostly not sufficient to meet and cover the basic activities they are in charge with.

    57. There are many organizations of civil society which provide support to victims of family violence (telephone help lines, shelters for victims of family violence, etc.), and by disposing violence and introducing mechanisms for taking actions, add to operations of the state and its institutions and instruments dealing with the problem of family violence (police, courts, Centers for social protection). There are two houses or shelters for women and children – victims of violence - in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. (ADL Barcelona, Woman BIH), and at the territory of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka, supported by the Government, there has recently been established a «Safe house», while in Modriča, the NGO «Budućnost» has a shelter, basic task of both being to take care and provide support to victims of family violence.

    There has been a good cooperation so far between competent state institutions and some NGOs. Nevertheless, establishing such cooperation has not been systematically resolved, so that their experiences may be taken only as examples of good practice in finding the systemicl solution to the problem.

    58. The country has no elaborated action plan and strategy to combat violence. The Gender Centers, in cooperation with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, and representatives of NGO sector, plan to implement the activities of forming a Working Group which would develop this strategy.

    Available data and indicators have not been unified, and there are considerable differences in relation to the actual dimension of violence against women between the official statistical data and inofficial data gathered by NGOs that fight against violence (telephone help lines, associations, etc). Data collected by the NGOs indicate that the level of violence is much higher than the level of reported criminal activities.

    Results of some research

    59. At the BiH territory there has not been done any overall analysis regarding any form of violence at all, but individual NGOs have performed their own analysis. The results of the analysis can therefore be used as framework indicators of conditions in particular regions, but not as statistical indicators of the conditions in BiH.

    Significant research activities regarding family violence have been realized in several local communities – Banja Luka, Trebinje, etc, with support of the Students’ Union of the students of social work of the University of Banja Luka.

    According to data avalable on family violence from local social protection services in the seven Cantons in the Federation of BiH, dissagregated by age and gender structure, it is established that all forms of violence /physical, emotional, sexual, and other forms/ are particularly expressed against female children from 15-18 years of age and women above 19 years of age.

    Table 5.1:

    Family violence against children, youth and adults in FBiH in 2001

    Form of violence
    Physical violence
    Emotional violence
    Sexual violence
    Other forms of violence
    Total
    Age
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M+F
    0 to 3
    7
    3
    17
    18
    1
    0
    1
    0
    26
    21
    47
    4 to 6
    15
    17
    62
    51
    1
    0
    0
    4
    78
    72
    150
    7 to14
    67
    54
    55
    83
    0
    5
    7
    4
    129
    147
    276
    15 to 18
    28
    33
    60
    78
    1
    10
    13
    18
    102
    139
    241
    19 to27
    10
    110
    21
    82
    0
    13
    19
    28
    50
    233
    283
    28 to 45
    22
    111
    49
    88
    0
    8
    42
    48
    113
    255
    368
    over 46
    15
    34
    33
    47
    0
    3
    19
    40
    67
    124
    191
    Total
    164
    362
    297
    447
    3
    39
    101
    142
    565
    991
    1556

    Table 5.2.

    Violence against children - criminal offences against sexual integrity of children in the RS,

    period 1996-2002

    Criminal classification of violence
    Rape or unnatural acts, fornication
    Attempted rape, sexual violence, attempted fornication
    Rape
    Extramarital community with underag person
    Pimping or procuring in activities of prostitution
    Satisfying sexual appetites in front of other people
    Family violence, physical, emotional
    Extramarital community with underage person, satisfying sexual appetites in front of other people
    Incest
    Total
    Age
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    F
    M
    0 to 3

    1
















    1

    1
    4 to 6
    4
    4
















    4
    4
    8
    7 to 10
    3
    8
    2
    6








    1
    1



    1
    6
    16
    22
    11 to 14
    9
    14
    2
    19

    4

    1

    3

    2
    1


    2

    2
    12
    47
    59
    TOTAL
    16
    27
    4
    25
    0
    4
    0
    1
    0
    3
    0
    2
    2
    1
    0
    2
    0
    3
    22
    68
    90

    60. Federal Ministry of Interior has collected data for the period from 1996-2001 regarding: criminal charges on criminal offences of rape, fornication, unnatural acts and rape over an underage persons, soliciting for purposes of engaging in prostitution, in total 954, number of police interventions for ill-treatment and abuse of women, in total 27,961,

    Number of police actions regarding prostitution and trafficking in people, in total 116.

    61. There are no overall data on violence against women in RS either. There are data of the SOS Center which has functioned in Banja Luka since 1 May 1997, where over 2,000 women looked for help. Over 70% of women are mothers with children, in 99% cases a bully is from the family, most often a husband, and in 5% cases it is other family members. Physical violence relates to 80% of cases, while 6% of cases relates to sexual abuse.

    62. SOS-telephones for victims of violence function in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Modriča and Prijedor for now. According to the data of SOS service functioning at the territory of the Federation of BiH, in the period between 5 October 2000 to 5 October 2001 - a one year period - 329 persons called the SOS telephone, the highest percent of the calls for discontent from social reasons, followed by physical violence, psychical violence, violence caused by alcoholism.

    63. For the purpose of providing protection for women victims of violence, a new SOS line with the number 1209 will be opened for protection of women and children from family violence. This telephone number will be unique for the whole territory of BiH, since the Regulatory Agency for Communications awarded a license for use of a unique short number 1209 to all telephone services for prevention of family violence in BiH.

    64. There is no common data base on the number of filed criminal charges against any form of violence. Collecting data from the field the information is obtained that in one entity - FBiH - in the period from 1996 to 2002, the number of 954 criminal charges was filed against all forms of offences against physical integrity, including soliciting to engage in prostitution. In the same period, there were 27,961 police interventions. In the period from 2002 to 2003 in the RS, the number of 332 criminal offences of family violence was registered, and filed 313 criminal charges with the competent prosecutor’s office. Out of total number the registered case violence was performed by men in 97.4% cases. In 80% cases women were the victims of violence, and the second in line were children. From 1996 to 2002 there were registered 90 victims of criminal acts against sexual integrity in which the victims were children under 14 years of age, 68 of them being girls.

    Causes of violence against women in the family

    65. Causes of violence are most often alcoholism, post-trauma war syndrome or difficult economic situation. Common research on the theme “Violence against women”, dealing with causes of violence, was performed by several NGOs from the territory of BiH. Conclusion of this research is that women are not ready to report domestic violence at home and in family. The reason is stated that women, burdened with patriarchal upbringing, have a distorted image of violence and even tolerate it. Many women do not recognize violence that happens to them, and even when they recognize it, 73% of women surveyed by the NGO “Info libraries”, claimed that the most important thing for a woman is to keep the family together. According to the research of these NGOs, only 40% of women who were the object of violence were seeking the court protection, or police protection, or applied to centres for social work. NGOs found that the police is either poorly trained or not trained at all to investigate sexual offences or domestic violence, so that the police can become an obstacle for women making them feel partly or fully guilty for such cases. Furthermore, the position is stated that victims of violence, particularly sexual violence are often ashamed and humiliated too much to expose their experience, and face additional procedural burdens in seeking for justice considering the exposure to additional psychological violence in the process of questioning at the police and hearing at court. This process, in fact, often imposes the feeling of guilt to women that they are guilty themselves for the violence which happened or is happening to them.

    66. It is also important to point out that neither the Ministries of Interior nor some other institutions do not have compiled and complete statistical data on violence against women. This by all means indicates to the fact that this problem is being marginalized, because any request for more serious approach to this issue would require, primarily, the overall analysis of manifestation of violence in BiH and its expansion. It seems that the first steps have been made towards the incrimination of violence which means that this form of violence has got the profile and definition, but incrimination itself is not sufficient unless there are overall activities on raising awareness on the integrity and dignity of the person, on the Equality, on the obligation of each individual to strengthen one’s own role in the family and the community.

    Education for Equality

    67. This area has not been included into the curricula currently used in the education system at the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Having in mind the fact that intensive activities are going on towards the reform of the whole education system at the territory of the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it can be expected that subjects and new forms of curricula, both on the level of primary and secondary schools, will pay special attention to the context of education for participation in democratic processes of education for Equality, including the right to freedom of choice and right to be different.

    68. Most of the new educational curricula shall be focused on informing people on responsible and humane partnership, problems of addiction and delinquency, disabilities and differences, child care, establishing quality life in families with mentally and physically disabled children, resolving problems of growing up processes, sex and adoption of responsible behavior, restriction of occurring of any form of violence, overcoming of assumptions, steretypes and prejudice on men and women and their roles, support to different types of families, such as foster families, homosexual partnerships, etc.

    69. In the meantime, some local institutions, supported by international organisations and with participation of a large number of NGOs, have developed numerous publications, including the publication on prevention of abuse of children and provision of support to such children, as well as manuals regarding the education of families, personal education and education for life.

    ARTICLE 6. TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN AND EXPLOITATION THROUGH PROSTITUTION OF WOMEN

    70. The Constitution of BiH regulates the issue of prevention of all forms of trafficking in women or prostitution indirectly by specifying human rights and fundamental freedoms. Article 2. States those rights and freedoms envisaged under the European Convention for Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Protocols directly apply in BiH, and that these acts have precedence over any other law. In paragraph 3 of the same Article are listed fundamental rights and freedoms enjoyed by all persons in BiH, and, among others the following have been guaranteed by the Constitution:

    - Right to life, personal freedom and safety,

    - Right not to be tortured or submitted to inhuman or degrading procedure or punishment,

    - Right not to be kept in slavery or submission or forced or obligatory labor,

    - Right to fair proceedings in civil or criminal matters and other rights pertaining to criminal proceedings.

    Bosnia and Herzegovina has ratified a Protocol for Prevention, Suppression and Punishment of Trafficking in People, Particularly Women and Children, which amend the UN Convention against transnational organized crime from 2000.

    71. The criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within Chapter XVII, provides for criminal offences against humanity and values protected by the international law (Article 186.). A person participating in recruiting, transportation, providing shelter or receiption to persons threatening or using force or other forms of compelling, kidnapping or deceit, abuse of power or someone’s vulnerabillity, or taking or giving payments or privileges in order to obtain consent of person who controls another person with the aim to exploit the person, shall be sentenced to one to ten year term of imprisonment.

    A person who commits the criminal offence under paragraph 1 of this Article against the underage person shall be sentenced to minimal five year term of imprisonment.

    A person organizing a group of persons with the aim to commit criminal offence under paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, shall be sentenced to minimal 10 years or long term imprisonment.

    A person, who, out of negligence facilitates the doing of criminal offence under paragraphs 1 through 3 of this Article, shall be sentenced to six months to five years term of imprisonment.

    Exploitation under paragraph 1 of this Article specially includes exploitation of others through prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or provision of services, slavery or procedures similar to slavery, serving under force or removal of organs for the purpose of transplantation.

    Article 187.

    A person recruiting, alluring or soliciting another person to provide sexual services in order to make profit in some country, excluding the countries in which this person has a residence or is a citizen, shall be sentenced to the term from six months to five years imprisonment.

    A person who, using force or threat of force or deceit forces or solicits another person to go to the country in which this person has no residence or is not a citizen, in order to provide sexual services for money shall be sentenced to the term from six months to five years imprisonment.

    If the criminal offence under paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article has been done to the children or an underage person, the perpetrator shall be sentenced to the term from one to ten years of imprisonment.

    The fact that recruited, allured, solicited, forced or misled person has already been engaged in prostitution does not affect the existence of the criminal offence.

    Definitions have been harmonized with international conventions and present a sufficient precondition for processing such offences. The entity criminal codes also envisage criminal offences of trafficking in people.

    Causes of occurrence of trafficking

    72. Trafficking in people, particularly women in order to engage them in prostitution, presents a problem which has recently become extremely accute at the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Namely, the opening of state borders, transition to market economy, increase of unemployment and poverty, collapse of state structure, reduced control of movement in some parts of Europe, particularly in Central and eastern Europe, have created favorable conditions for development of illegal trafficking, particularly trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation at the territory of our country too.

    73. Trafficking in women and prostitution in Bosnia and Herzegovina have occurred in larger scale in the years after the war, with significant increase in the period from 1999 to 2000. For the period from 1996 till April 1999 there are no official indicators since this problem has not been paid sufficient attention.

    According to data available to us, Bosnia and Herzegovina emerged as an important destination for women victims of trafficking from Eastern Europe starting with 1996. As in other countries in the region, the collapse of effective structures of legal system and application of law, intensive international presence, weak border control and larger illegal movement of people in the country, as well as the increase in organized crime took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina too.

    74. In April 1999, Ministries of Interior for the first time had available data on trafficking in women and children. It was shown that most trafficked women were from Moldova, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. They appear in BiH in a classical manner as waitresses, dancers, and then, in some number of cases, they are forced to engage in prostitution, caught in a circle of debt slavery, as well as sexual violence and abuse.

    75. According to the IPTF data, it is estimated that approximately 33% women claim that they were victims of trafficking and seeked help to return home. Others claim that they came by their own free will that they have working permit to perform tasks of dancers or waitresses, and where the causal connection can not be found between this people and trafficking in people there is no basis for any action on prevention of trafficking in people. The characteristic of trafficking in women in BiH, according to the findings of Gender Center of RS is that 40% of traffickers are women themselves.

    76. Typical locations for prostitution are night clubs, bars, and striptease clubs. Apart from domestic clients, there is some percent of foreigners (employees of numerous international governmental and non-governmental organizations) who are creating demand on the sex market. For the period from 1999 to 2000 there is evidence that the local police, international police and SFOR were involved in and closely cooperated in trafficking in women.

    77. Analyzing available data in this area (within period from 25 July 2001 to 2002, the number of 2120 girls and women were interviewed), the number of clubs in which operative workers found girls to be dancers, etc., as well as the number of the engaged girls, it can be seen that the number of clubs and the number of girls with illegal residence is significantly decreasing. This, however, does not mean that the scope of the problem has been reduced. To some extent, this means more sophisticated work and organization of work related to prostitution or trafficking. Girls get working permits more often, or meet the legally prescribed conditions for issuance of working permits, and the connection of club owners and officials who should work on prevention of all forms of trafficking in people is well planned and organized, so the information on the forthcoming actions and activities find their way very fast to those who should know about them least of all. Scared but attracted by earning money, girls avoid claiming that they were victims of trafficking. As a rule, they claim that they came here by their own free will, that they did their best to meet all requirements prescribed by law for a legitimate stay, that they were fine, that they had the opportunity to earn some money, that they did not want to return to their country because they were faced with poverty there, or unsettled family conditions, etc. We find that the trend of decreasing number of clubs and girls involved into the chain of trafficking in people is partly the result of harmonization of legislation in this matter, as well as regular training of officials who are engaged in implementation of regulations, more active participation of intervention teams, particularly those founded within UN Mission, forming and working of some institutions on the state and entity level, and primarily by the result of an active and adequate engagement of members of Ministries of Interior and State Border Services officials.

    78. During 2001, according to the data obtained from the Ministries of Interior, at the territory of the whole BiH there were 98 criminal charges filed against 158 persons, out of which number 116 were BiH citizens and 42 foreign citizens. Criminal charges were filed against them for the existence of reasonable suspicion that the suspects committed following criminal offences: trafficking in people to engage them in prostitution (53 persons), soliciting in prostitution (44 persons), establishment of slavery relations (4 persons), and illegal detention (5 persons). 42 foreign female citizens were charged with possession of forged passports.

    Actions taken in respect to prevention of trafficking in people

    79. The previous Law on Immigration and Asylum in BiH did not have a single provision to address the issue of trafficking in people and prostitution; it regulated the issues of entering, stay and partly movement of foreigners, and provided conditions for granting asylum or cessation of asylum.

    The new Law on Movement, Residence and Asylum for Foreigners in BiH specifically regulates the issue of victims of trafficking. Its purpose is to specify procedures towards the persons being victims of trafficking by providing conditions for their recovery and return to initial destination country, and through possibilities of accommodation in institutions specialized for acceptance of victims of trafficking. A person who is a victim of trafficking is enabled to get a temporary residence in order to participate in proceedings as a witness, or the damaged party, in order to recover, to get protection from the state institutions, and to return to her/his country. Currently this process is going with support of IOM (International Organization for Migration), but only for persons who want to return voluntarily.

    80. Action Plan for Prevention of Trafficking in People was adopted at the state level on 6 December 2001. The Plan elaborates establishment of the State Commission for implementation of the Plan, control of borders and application of Laws, defines the construction of the reception center and programme of protection of victims as well as support in repatriation, reform of legislation, prevention, education, training and work on rising of awareness. The Plan establishes coordination and information flow from entity and other institutions dealing with this problem to the Ministery of huma rights and refugees. State Commission for implementation of the Plan has been reformed, the State coordinator has been appointed for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Expert team appointed at the state level, consisting of representatives of the Ministry of security, Ministry of justice, Ministry of Interior, Office of the State Prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees.

    81. In the procedure of the implementation of the Action plan, Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees has issued a Provisional instruction for treatment of victims of trafficking. This instruction directly requires the application of the principle of protection of victims of trafficking following the UN Convention on Prevention of Transnational Organized crime and its Protocols, which BIH accessed in Palermo in 2000. It is explicitly stated that a foreign person shall not be detained, prosecuted or sentenced for illegal entry or stay in the country until any doubt is removed that he/she is a victim of trafficking and that this act is a direct consequence of unfavourable position of persons who are victims of trafficking.

    In order to provide adequate protection to victims of trafficking, a Protocol has been signed on cooperation with NGO, which specifies the obligation of the competent bodies (primarily the police) to provide adequate support: legal aid, medical protection, etc., to persons suspected to be victims of trafficking. Both Provisional Instruction and the Protocol were submitted to the competent state and entity bodies for application.in October 2003.

    82. Task Force is the operative team formed simultaneously with the Commission for Implementation of the Action plan, on 5 May 2002. Itse aim is operational action, by ensuring urgent flow of information, performed by members of the group, consisting of representatives of all state and entity bodies who directly execute tasks regarding prevention of trafficking. Particular stress is on state and entity prosecutors who need to have access to information and all proceedings initiated against trafficking in people, in order to direct activities and harmonize the proceedings.

    83. Within the Ministries of Interior there are task forces acting on prevention of trafficking and prostitution, as well as stop teams involving representatives of Ministry of Interior and the EUPM-a.


    State Border Service

    84. The work of State Border Service (DGS) on protection of state border and international airports, as well as control of the movement of persons and goods across the border has started by forming 4 units of the State Border Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2000. Presently, this Service has full control of the state border and international airports. During control of movement of persons across border crossings, members of DGS have the obligation to respect all legal provisions related to this issue, as well as rto espect fundamental human rights and freedoms. Particular attention in the work of State Border Service is paid to combating illegal immigrations and trafficking in people. The DGS Academy, formed in July 2001, which will provide training for all members of the Service, uses curricula that include training on fight against illegal immigration and trafficking in people, particularly women and children.

    85. Bosnia and Herzegovina presented a destination country for women victims of trafficking, mostly entering the country illegaly, supported by a well organized network of criminals. The main countries of origin of such persons are Ucraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria, etc.

    86. From the date of forming of DGS to June 2002, this Service has processed 132 women who illegally entered BiH, or whoser illegal entrance was established afterwards. Concerning this category of persons, in 21 cases is established that persons used forged passports or visas to enter BiH, or used someone else’s passport. In 30 cases, State Border Service initiated offence proceedings for the reason of illegal crossing of the state border, or illegal stay in BiH. Charges were filed against 9 women for possession of forged passport. In 16 cases, women who were processed by this service claimed that they were the subject of trafficking, or it was established afterwards.

    87. Since the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina still do not have the capacity to takecare and repatriate the victims of trafficking in women, these tasks are performed by the international institutions in BiH. State Border Service sent 43 women to these organizations for further processing, care, and repatriation. Data on women, foreign citizens, for whom it can be reasonably assumed that they were victims of trafficking in people for the purpose of sexual exploitation are presented in table 6.1. All women were operationally processed within the period of official operation of DGS, from 1 June 2000 to 20 May 2002.

    Table 6.1.

    Foreign citizens suspected to be victims of trafficking in people

    Country of origin/citizenship
    Persons who illegally entered BiH or it was established afterwards
    Persons who used forged document
    Persons against whom were initiated proceedings
    Persons who stated that they were victims of trafficking in people
    Persons sent to international org, for further processing, care and repatriation.
    passport
    visa or approved stay
    Offence proceedings
    Criminal proceedings
    Moldova
    66
    6
    5
    10
    6
    6
    19
    Romania
    38
    2
    1
    9
    1
    4
    9
    Ukraine
    22
    2
    3
    10
    0
    4
    14
    Russia
    3
    1
    0
    0
    1
    1
    1
    Yugoslavia
    2
    1
    0
    1
    1
    1
    0
    Armenia
    1
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    TOTAL
    132
    12
    9
    30
    9
    16
    43

    88. Data of International Organization for Migration, whose mandate includes care and shelter for victims of trafficking in people obtained from the report made on 14 May 2002, and concerning the period of one year, indicate the following:

    Table 6.2.

    Data on women victims of trafficking in people

    Country of origin
    Number of persons
    Average age
    Moldova
    206
    22,1

    Romania

    179
    21,3
    Ukraine
    50
    25,2

    Byelorussia

    5
    27,5
    Russia
    8
    20,4

    FRY

    8
    23,7
    Kazakhstan
    2
    20,5
    Hungary
    1
    16,7

    According to these data, the total of 442 persons was returned home.

    ARTICLE 7. POLITICAL AND PUBLIC LIFE

    Constitutional and legal rights of active and passive election

    89. The Constitution of BiH and entity constitutions guarantee to all the citizens: the right to establishment of membership to political parties, participation in public works, Equality in access to public services, the right to elect and be elected.

    Way of execution of the freedom of political organization and operation, as well as conditions for establishment, registration and cessation of work of political organizations has been regulated under the Law on political organizations.

    90. The Election Law of BiH stipulates that election of members of all government bodies shall be performed on the basis of general and equal voting rights by direct and secret voting. Pursuant to the same Law, every BiH citizen of 18 years of age has a right to vote and to be elected to legislative bodies at all levels of government in BiH.

    It follows from the above stated regulations that women and men have the same rights of participation in political and public life.

    Constitutional and legal active and passive voting right

    91. The active and passive voting right assessed through the following provisions of Article II of the Constitution of BiH and Article II A.2 stipulate for the obligation of the state of BiH and Entities to ensure the highest possible level of internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms:

    The Election Law of BiH - voting right and quota,

    Law on referendum - voting right,

    Law on political organizations,

    Law on foundations and associations (state),

    Statute of a number of parliamentary parties.

    92. After the analysis of the applicable legislation regulating the voting right in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it follows that all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who are 18 and who are residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina have the right to vote, which in practical terms mean that women and men have the same right to vote in elections. The same provisions are contained in regulations which deal with the voting right in referendum. Thus, it may be concluded that women have the same rights as men. In practice, however, it looks different. In other words, there is a difference between urban and rural population, particularly from the aspect of implementation of equal rights for both genders. In some places it is usual for a man “the head of the household” to decide who to vote for, which women mostly obey.

    93. There is also no special record on percentage of votes at elections according to gender. But, the competent election commission, after every voting, may provide this data by analysing voting lists for each polling place. Such analysis requires additional time and funds for the analysis of voting lists, and cannot be done by statistical institutions. Voting lists are a constituent part of electoral material which, according to the rules of the election commissions, are kept for a certain period of time, and serve for checking the information during the review of submitted complaints for individual election activities.

    Women in political parties

    94. Analysis of the Statutes of a number of parliamentary parties shows that these statutes do not contain provisions which would prohibit women to be members of parties or to participate in the work of party bodies. Solutions contained in the Election Law of BiH which obligate all political parties to have at least one third of the candidates of minority gender in the candidate list (our experience shows that in BiH till today in the process of nominating for elections the minority gender have always been women) directed political parties to increase the number of women in their membership and party branches. In this manner participation of women in party branches varies from 30 to 40%, while in the party bodies the percent of participation of women is smaller, which can be seen from the following data.

    95. With the aim to analyse participation of women in political parties, the data was required from 15 parliamentary parties at the level of the parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, registered at the territory of the Federation BiH. The following results were received:

    Social-democratic party - SDP BiH

    Participation of women in total membership is 39, 5%.

    Central Committee has 104 members, out of which 37 women (35, 5%).

    Presidency of the party has 11 members, two of them women (17%).

    Out of 100 municipal committees, 4 presidents are women (4%).

    Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Percent of women in total membership is 41, 2%.

    Participation of women in the Executive commission is 31, 4%.

    Participation of women in the presidency of the party is 14, 3%.

    Party of democratic action - SDA

    - Central Committee has 109 members, 14 of them women (12,84 %).

    Presidency has 17 members, one woman (5,88 %).

    Croatian rural party BiH - HSS BiH

    There are a high number of women in membership of the party.

    Central Committee has 82 members, 8 of them women (10%).

    Presidency has 11 members, two of them women (18,18 %).

    Women are presidents of two municipal committees.

    Bosnian and Herzegovinian patriotic party - BPS

    - Participation of women in membership and bodies of the party is over 30%.

    Liberal - democratic party - LDS

    Participation of women in membership of the party is 30%.

    Presidency has 25 members, four of them women (16%).

    Central Committee has 74 members, six of them women (8,11%).

    LDS has 7 co-presidents, one woman (14,29%).

    From the total of 96 presidents and co-presidents of city and municipal committees, 4 of them women (4,17%).

    BOSS - Bosnian party

    Participation of women in membership and bodies of the party is between 30 and 40%.

    Republican Party

    Participation of women in membership of the party is around 40%.

    Senate of the party has 15 members, 7 of them women (46,67%).

    Out of 5 cantonal committees, women are presidents in three cantonal committees (60%).

    Two women are co-presidents of the party.

    Civic democratic party - GDS

    -In the central Committee of the party there are 34% of women,

    -In other working bodies of the party there is up to 50% of women.

    New Croatian Initiative - NHI

    -Participation of women in membership of the party is between 30 and 40%.

    - Presidency of the party has 20 members, two women (10%).

    -party has a Women’s forum.

    Party of pensioners-retired persons BiH

    -Executive board of the party has 9 members, one of them woman ( %).

    -Other bodies have 31 members, three of them women ( %).

    96. From the data delivered by the parliamentary parties (data was requested from all parliamentary parties, but some parties did not submit this data even after several repeated requests) it can be seen that participation of women in membership of the parties ranges from 30% to over 40%, while the level participation of women in bodies of the party ranges between 20% and 40%.

    97. At first sight, it could be concluded that there is a high percent of participation of women in the parties and party branches. But, this is mostly the result of the “pressure” of the international community and a certain number of local experts from the field of elections, to instill into the Election Law the obligation of parties to represent a specific number of women at the candidate lists. This “forced” the parties to include as many women as possible into their membership.

    A number of parties formed “Women’s forum” as a form of acting within the party. These fora primarily deals with the position of women within the party, but also have the opportunity to influence decision making in competent institutions by establishing common positions on specific issues. Furthermore, a number od parties have incorporated into their statutes the obligatory percent of participation of women in membership and bodies of the party.

    98. Number of women on the lists of candidates for legislative bodies at all levels of government (from municipality to Parliamentary Assembly of BiH) is determined by the Election law of BiH (Article 4.19), which obligates all parties to nominate at least one third of candidates of the minority gender. Experineces show that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, till today, in the nomination procedure for elections the minority gender have always been women.


    Legislative authorities

    99. According to Annex 3 of the Peace Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first post-war elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were to be implemented by the Provisional Election Commission formed by the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This commission issued Rules and regulations for implementation of elections. The first elections took place in September 1996. Local authorities could not agree on design of permanent election law following which the elections would take place at all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so the mandate was extended to the Provisional election Commission, and the Commission continued to implement all elections till 2000 (1997,1998, and 2000).

    100. During 1998, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina formed a Working Group to design the Election law of BiH, which was passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH in September 2001 («Official Gazette» no.23/01 and no.14/02). In public debate on design of the election Law of BiH the request was made to incorporate provisions in the election regulations for securing higher percent of women in legislative authorities.

    Thus, for general elections in 1998, the obligations was introduced for all parties to compose mixed lists of candidates and secure that among the first nine candidates there are at least three candidates of minority gender (they are, in 99% cases women). This secured that at these elections higher number of women were nominated for all levels of authorities. Closed lists used for general elections in 1998 enabled for more women to be elected to legislative bodies at all levels of government. For example, from the total of 42 representatives, 13 women or 30.2% women were elected to the House of representatives of the parliamentary assembly of BiH.

    101. The determined quota on the obligation of 1/3 candidates of minority gender on all candidate lists was applied at the elections in 2000 too. But, on these elections the lists of candidates were open, which practically mean that the voters could vote both for the party and individual candidates on the lists. On these elections, according to the data of the election commission, the total of 1.616.313 voters went to polls, out of which number 798.500 women voters, or 49,4%. The election results showed that the voters supported men candidates (although there were almost 50% of women voters) at all levels of government. There was a particularly dramatic decrease in number of women-representatives at the state level in comparison to 1998. At the elections 2000 three women and 39 men were elected to the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly. During the mandate period another women was verified a mandate additionally (when a men-representative accepted the executive position), so that now there are four women-representatives in this House.

    102. A higher number of women were elected at the cantonal level (average of all cantons 20%, and in 1998 it was 18%) and for the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation BiH (17%, and in 1998. There were 15% of women). For the National Assembly of the Republica Srpska in 2000, lower percent of women (15%) was elected when compared to 1998 (19%); at the general elections which took place in 2002 for the National Assembly out of 83 representatives there are 18% or 15 women. The conditions have not visibly changed even in later elections of women for members of the National Council.

    The established quota for election to municipal councils/assemblies was applied in 2000, when 595 or 17,9% women were elected (only 2718 men were elected), while at the municipal elections in 1997 only 5,4% of women were elected.

    103. According to available data, it is apparent that the application of obligatory candidate quota ensured a higher number of women in legislative bodies at all levels of authority, so it is necessary to keep this quota. For instance, at the elections for the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation BiH, in 1996 only 7 women were elected or 5%, but in 2000 there were 24 women or 17,1%. Although the candidate quota ensured a higher number of women in legislative bodies, there is not a single women a president of the Parliament neither at state or entity level. This indicates that men keep the highest positions in legislative authorities.

    Detailed data on the number of nominated and elected women at all post-war elections at all levels of authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina are given in table 7. 1. Which follows:

    TABLE 7. 1.

    Statistical data on election results at all post-war elections

    Data on participation of women at elections for legislative bodies at all levels of authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1996 to 2000
    Election level
    Year

    Before introduction of quota
    After introduction of quota
    1996
    1997
    1998
    2000
    %
    women candidates
    %
    elected women
    % women candidates
    %
    elected women %
    % women candidates
    %
    elected women
    % women candidates
    %
    elected women
    Municipalities
    -
    -
    9,6
    5,4
    21,31
    26,61
    32,9
    17,9
    Cantons
    10,1
    6,1
    -
    -
    24,9
    18,2
    35,3
    19,7
    National Assembly RS
    7,6
    2,4
    11,7
    2,4
    19,5
    22,9
    31,9
    18,1
    Parliament FBiH
    10,5
    5
    -
    -
    24,2
    15
    36,1
    17,1
    Parliament BiH
    9,4
    2,3
    -
    -
    28,8
    30,2
    28,3
    7,1

    N053156301.jpg

    N053156302.jpg

    104. At the end, we reach the final goal – «As many women as possible in the legislative authorities». Normativelly and through the standards we ensured for 30% of women to be nominated, but the percent of elected women to legislative bodies at all levels of authorities (at the latest elections in 2000) is much lower. The reason for this are “open lists” where every voter chooses who to vote for (in our case, voters choose men candidates).

    105. Analyzing data on participation of women-representatives in the work of working groups of legislative authorities at state, entity, and cantonal level, it is visible that women, out of 130 Working groups, preside 26 or 20% of these Working groups. This data indicates that in most cases it is ensured women are enabled (in the scale they make in the total membership of the legislative bodies) to lead some Working Groups in preparations for parliamentary sessions.

    106. There is a series of factors which «prevent» women from participating more actively in politics. Firstly, our long tradition which requires strickt differentiation of tasks in the family. A woman’s place is at home and she takes care of raising children, and the man works outside home and takes care of material security of the family. The tradition influenced the level of education, so that male children attended Universities, but female children completed secondary education. In Bosnia and Herzegovina conditions have not been created for women who want to participate in political life to commit to this task (where to leave children, who would make lunch and do other household works, etc.), because this work requires wholeday engagement. Women have no sufficient time to prepare their election programmes which would make them recognizible to voters who would support them at elections for legislative authorities.

    Courts and prosecutor’s offices

    107. According to the Constitutions in BiH, judicial authority is independent and autonomous from the executive and legislative authorities.

    In BiH there are 100 courts in total (two per state and entity levels, the court in the Brčko District, and 93 courts at local levels).

    In these courts out of 934 judges, 452 or 48,4% are women.

    A higher percent of women can be found in courts at local levels: 428 or 49,8%, and the highest in the first instance court of the Brčko District 61,5% and the Supreme Court of the Federation BiH where women are represented by 56,3%. In courts at state and entity levels as well as Brčko District there are no women - presidents of courts.

    At local levels, out of 93 courts, in 16 courts or 17,2% women are presidents.

    TABLE 7.2.

    Data on participation of women in judicial authorities at all levels in BiH


    TOTAL NO OF JUDGES
    WOMEN
    MEN
    Number
    %
    Number
    %
    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BiH
    9
    2
    22,2
    7
    77,8
    COURT BiH – appealation department
    7
    1
    16,6
    6
    83,3
    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT FBiH
    9
    2
    22, 2
    7
    77,8
    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RS
    7
    1
    16,6
    6
    83,3
    SUPREME COURT FBiH
    16
    9
    56,3
    7
    43,7
    SUPREME SUD RS
    16
    1
    6,25
    15
    93,7
    COURT OF BRČKO DISTRICT
    13
    8
    61,5
    5
    38,5
    CANTONAL AND MUNICIPAL COURTS IN FBiH
    587
    323
    55,0
    264
    45,0
    DISTRICT AND REGIONAL COURTS IN RS
    272
    105
    38,6
    167
    61,4

    108. The above stated data indicate that when appointing presidents of courts a great advantage is given to men when compared to women. This means that, regardless of qualification, expertize and knowledge, more important decision making and better paid positions belong to men, meaning that women are not given equal opportunities.

    Prosecutors

    109. At the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina there ar 85 prosecutor’s offices in total (two entity, one in Brčko District and 82 at local level). From the total number of prosecutors - 127, there are 47 women, or 37%.

    TABLE 7.3.

    Women in prosecutor’s offices


    Total number
    WOMEN
    MEN
    NO
    %
    NO
    %
    PROSECUTORS FbiH
    53
    18
    34
    35
    66
    PROSECUTORS RS
    73
    29
    38
    44
    62
    PROSECUTOR OF BRČKO DISTRICT
    1
    0
    0
    1
    100

    The reform of judicial system is pending in the whole of BiH, and it will result in the decresed number of courts and prosecutor’s offices at local levels.

    Executive authorities

    110. Data on number of women taking highest positions of executive authorities at state, federal and cantonal level show that there is a very small number of women bearers of highest positions in the executive authorities. None of the women was elected to be member of the Presidency BiH at the post-war elections (1996-2000), neither for the president/co-president of FBiH, nor for entity Prime Minister.

    111. Among 6 members of the Council of Ministers of BiH there is one woman (16,7%), and among 15 members of the Government of the Federation of BiH two women (13,3%) are ministers (agriculture and war veteran issues), and out of 19 members of the Government of the RS one woman is the minister (justice).

    In all ten cantons, cantonal presidents are men, and out of over 100 cantonal ministers there are 8 women (justice, housing, social protection and labor and education) - data for 2000.

    112. In state institutions, Brčko District and entity ministries there is a total of 540 persons at executive positions, 136 of them or 25.2% being women.

    In Steering Boards, whose members are appointed by the governments, there are 3310 members in total at the territory of BiH, out of which 771 or 23.3% are women. Members of Steering Boards usually get fees for their work and make decisions, which gives advantage to men in comparison with women.

    In 486 educational institutions at the territory of the Federation BiH there are 85 or 17.5% women principals, and in 137 health organizations there are 37 or 27% women directors. In the Republika Srpska out of 198 primary schools there are only 25 or 15% women principals (in the field where the majority employees are women).

    TABLE 7.4.

    Participation of women in executive authorities.

    PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES

    Total number
    Women
    Men
    No
    %
    No
    %
    PRESIDENCY BiH
    3
    0
    0
    3
    100
    COUNCIL OF MINISTERS BiH
    6
    1
    16,7
    5
    83,3
    PRESIDENT OF F BiH
    2
    0
    0
    2
    100
    PRESIDENT OF RS
    2
    0
    0
    2
    100
    GOVERNMENT F BiH
    15
    2
    13,3
    13
    86,7
    GOVERNMENT RS
    19
    1
    5,3
    18
    94,7
    PRESIDENT OF CANTON
    10
    0
    0
    10
    100

    113. The Law on Gender Equality of BiH, chapter IX - Public life, Article 15, reads: «In order to have equal representation of genders, the percent of participation of women in authorities at all levels, including judicial, legislative and executive authorities, as well as other public services, commissions and boards, including participation in bodies presenting the state at international level, as a rule shall reflect the equal representation of genders.

    Participation of women in NGO sector

    114. The Law on associations and foundations of BiH and same entity laws regulate the foundation, internal organization and cessation of work of associations and foundations. These laws do not contain provisions which would prohibit the work of women in NGO sector.

    Till the beginning of war in 1992 in Bosnia and Herzegovina there were organizations of citizens which mostly dealt with humanitarian issues and considerably influenced social life. Since 1993 NGOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina started to deal with priority issues of that time, the psycho-social support. Women non-governmental organizations started to act under direct influence of international organizations and donors. Their work is mostly based on the issues of violations of human rights and irresponsibility of authorities towards the problem of violence against women, trafficking in women, women’s rights, etc.

    115. During the war women organized into associations were accepted by the political leadership, but only as necessary and usual physical and moral support during the war. The decision-making process remained out of their domain. Starting with 1998, women non-governmental organizations mostly deal with: economic strengthening, education of women, legal counseling and advocating activities against violence against women, increase of participation of women in the political system, as well as conflict resolution and reconciliation. Reasons why women are involved into the work of non-governmental organizations is the feeling that in this sector the domination of men less feel, there is a possibility of earning money (at least temporarily), they have a chance to develop and progress, to learn new skills, to feel useful, and to have feeling of achievement.

    Women in Trade Unions

    116. According to international standards, women had to find their own place within the Trade Union structures. These structures are often rigid, quite bureaucratic, dominating by men, and as such, “intimidating” for women. Similarly, traditionally, the presence of women is invisible, they are poorly represented in executive and managing bodies, negotiations or international relations. Implementing their statutory structural reforms, the Trade Unions try to become gender sensitive in order to be friendly orientated towards women. Associations of the Trade Unions in BiH (SSSBiH and SSSRS) founded a Section (today Forum of women) and professional section of women, therefore formally meeting the international standards.

    • According to statistical data, SSSBiH has 101,000 members, out of which 28,000 are women (we think this is not a precise data, because women make approximately 48% of employees).

    • At the last Congress of SSSBiH out of 201 delegates 42 were women (each branch delegated the same number of delegates).

    • The Presidency consists of 9 members, 7 men and 2 women.

    • Central Committee consists of 33 men, 4 women and female representatives of Forum of women of SSSBiH, who do not have a right to vote.

    • Control Committee consists of 5 men and 3 women.

    • Status commission consists of 5 men and 1 woman.

    117. Women are scarcely or insufficiently represented in decision-making bodies, and invisible at the top of the Trade Union, although they make 45% of the total Trade Union membership. The typical Trade Union representative has a face of a middle-aged man. Women in these structures are either in administration or act as experts. The issue is raised how long will the women pay their Union membership fee to associations which do not recognize their interests. There is no statistics kept according to gender in the Trade Unions. From the overall activities of the Association the motivation of women to participate in Trade Union activities can not be seen. »Women Trade Union activities are not financed from regular funds of the Trade Unions. Activities of women are alive only thanks to the voluntary work and enthusiasm of the management of the Forum and professional section of women. Both of these organizations are members of ICFTU women network, part of Regional Trade Union women network for South and South East Europe. They are involved in all actions that these networks initiate in the world and Europe. They have established cooperation with NGOs in the country and region. By managing to find donations they underment education on empowerment, Trade Union organizing and actions. The inter-entity cooperation of women Trade Union organizations is important in the field of education and research of position of women at the labor market, in Trade Unions and in public life. The cooperation is established with STAR, Gender center FBiH and office of MKSS ICFTU in Sarajevo and Banja Luka. This way women’s labor rights are promoted, but they also raise awareness of women within Trade Unions.

    Analysis of data for the Republika Srpska

    118. The appointments were analysed based on gender representation. Regardless of the fact that the analysis included the period of appointments of two government, with different political programmes and party members, the common to both of them is segregation of female gender in comparison to male when appointing to different positions. Gender based discrimination is present in all leading, administrative and public structures of the RS. The appointments were analyzed of all directors and heads at all levels of authorities, from local to the republic level, steering and supervisory boards, judges, prosecutors, judge jurors, expert teams, commissions and different boards for preparation of laws and other projects, commissions for taking professional license exams, lectures and educational seminars, appointing of persons to University councils, representation of state capital in privatization, within the period of four and a half years.

    Statistical indicators show that in decision-making positions, starting with local and up to the republic level, gender Equality is totally violated. If, in the period of 4,5 years, the number of 319 directors were appointed and only 17 of them women, this means that 319 directors (male gender) have a right to decide on employees in their companies, to decide on their salary rates, and most often decide on the life of women, who, as a rule, in the transitional and privatization period first get fired. Furthermore, it implies that 319 directors and only 17 women directors earn more income, which indicates that men have better economic security, because they are more numerous at the positions of directors.

    119. The same can be concluded in appointing members of steering and supervisory boards. The Government appointed 1,368 members of steering boards with 181 female members, 621 members of supervisory boards with 93 female members. If it is taken into account that members of steering and supervisory boards usually get fees for work in steering and supervisory boards, and they are at the very source of information and decision-making, then we can assume why there is so high prevalence of men in comparison to women in steering and supervisory boards.

    There were 807 male gender persons and 132 female gender persons appointed in different expert teams, committees, commissions for taking professional, bar or other license exams (for example for work on drafting the law) the number of women is considerably less than the number of men, which is particularly felt in those boards that are well paid by international organizations.

    In University and faculty councils, expert commissions, the number of 1998 men is appointed and only 9 women, which indicates that female professors at faculties have no impact to the reform of higher education, and therefore the reform of higher education is implemented without gender mainstreaming.

    A proof that female gender persons are poorer than male gender persons in the process of transition, proven by the example of privatization of the state capital, where 590 male representatives were appointed for the state capital and only 82 female representatives. This example shows the obvious segregation of women in comparison to men. This means that women participate marginally in the privatization of the state capital, and the analysis of gender mainstreaming will be particularly interesting in the completed privatization. Such contrastive gender analysis indicates that the spheres where women are discriminated when compared to men are social and public life, and decision making processes.

    Women are not given the same opportunity as men, which lead to a complete violation of gender Equality, at the expense of the female gender.

    This is the consequence of the traditional comprehension of men, and to a certain extent of women, in regards to the role of motherhood, wife, mother, housewife, grandmother, which excludes the possibility of women doing anything else that might threaten their elementary, previously stated functions. At the same time, the role of the man in the family is emphasized very little, so one gets the impression that a man, as a father, husband, host does not hold the weight and the importance that a woman holds in the family. According to this type of interpretation, and the constant emphasis placed on it, a man is formally “a head of a household in the family who works very hard to support his family”, which means that he is predetermined for a public, social, and political life. Unlike men, a woman can hold a public or a social function only if she finds the time to fulfill her duty as a mother, housewife, wife, etc. The persistent thesis that men and women are equal in all spheres of social and public life definitely stops being legitimate thanks to the conducted gender analysis that will help us in diagnosing the problem, thus allowing us to have an influence on the positive changes related to the persons’ of female gender taking over a much more important role in the future.

    ARTICLE 8. THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

    120. Women have the right and the possibility to represent the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to participate in the work of international organizations just as much as men do, but because of their traditional position in the society they are still not represented enough in the international promotion and representation of the country.

    Thus, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 9 women, or 23%, have been nominated for the total of 39 positions equivalent to the diplomatic level of ambassadors.

    On the level of general consul, out of the total seven positions, two women have been nominated, which is 29%.

    In the remaining diplomatic and consular positions, as well as in administrative and technical positions, out of 261 employees 82 are women, which equals to 31%.

    A woman had also acted on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a vice president of the preparatory board for the special 27th Session of the General Assembly OUN dedicated to children.

    121. In the four delegations of the Parliamentary assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, out of 25 members, four of them are women, which represent 18%. Out of four of them, two, or 50% of them are part of the presiding delegation.

    ARTICLE 9. CITIZENSHIP

    122. Under the Law on citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the means, conditions and the procedure for the acquiring and terminating of BiH citizenship have been determined. Apart from BiH citizenship, there also exists entity citizenship, so a citizen of a certain entity is automatically also a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    Citizenship is acquired:

    1) by origin,

    2) by being born on the territory of BiH,

    3) by adoption,

    4) by naturalization,

    5) through an international agreement,

    6) under the conditions of and when approved by the Council of Ministers of BiH.

    The Law on citizenship prescribes that the marital partner of a BiH citizen can obtain citizenship under the following conditions:

    that the marriage lasted for at least five years before the claim has been submitted and that it still lasts during the filing of the request,

    that their previous citizenship is terminated once the citizenship is obtained, unless a bilateral agreement states otherwise. The termination of previous citizenship is not requested if that is not permitted or cannot be reasonably requested.

    that a person has a permanent place of residence on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina for at least the last three years.

    123. The marital status does not influence obtaining of citizenship except in the case when the citizenship is sought based on matrimony with a female or male citizen of BiH, in case of which there are no differences made on the basis of gender. For the acquiring of citizenship, it is important that the submitting party, a woman or a man, fulfills the conditions determined by law, which do not differ in relation to a woman or a man – they are the same. Women, married or single, have equal rights as men to obtain, change, or keep their citizenship. We find that the social, cultural, or economic factors do not significantly influence the exercising of rights by these women. Marriage with a foreign citizen does not have an influence on the change of a woman’s citizenship except in those cases where she wishes to take on the citizenship of the husband (under the conditions prescribed by the law of the state which the husband comes from). The possibility of dual citizenship has also been foreseen, if there exist a bilateral agreement with the state that the husband comes from (the principle of reciprocity).

    124. According to the available data, in Bosnia and Herzegovina there are equally often cases where wives or husbands apply for citizenship of the woman, depending on the decision of the family, that is, on the selection of the place of residence, so it could be said that the cases of discrimination or imperilment of the right to selection of citizenship are very rare in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The citizenship of the mother or the father has an equal value and, in accordance with the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the choice of marital partners is respected exclusively.

    125. Children born to a marriage in which the parents hold different citizenships obtain that citizenship upon which the parents agree, and, if the laws of the country of residence or origin of the parents permit it, children can have both citizenships. Children can have their own independent passports and can travel by being registered in the passport of either parent. Both parents have to give an agreement in regards to the travel document of the child and permission for travel. A permission to leave the country is also requested when the parents are separated. If the child is older than 14, his or her consent is necessary in all cases from the previous paragraph. The child’s consent is also requested in all cases of acquiring and terminating of citizenship if he or she is older than fourteen years of age.


    ARTICLE 10. EDUCATION

    126. The significance of education as an effective measure in the fight against all forms of discrimination against women is also reflected in the fact that a special part of the Convention, with appropriate articles, has been dedicated to education. Equal possibility for education in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been guaranteed by article II. 3. (L) of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Among other rights prescribed by the Constitution of BiH, the right to schooling and education is also guaranteed. The Constitution of BiH prescribes that all rights are to be exercised without discrimination on any basis, including gender.

    127. Under the laws that regulate education, it has been determined that education is an activity of special social significance, available to every child under the same conditions, according to their capabilities and interest, and in accordance with their needs. The characteristic of all these laws is the fact that there is no discrimination between genders, except that they are written in male gender when talking about both female and male students.

    In Republika Srpska, the system of education is centralized, while in the Federation of BiH it is decentralized and organized on the level of 10 cantonal units. It is characteristic for the Federation that the legislature of certain cantons allows for the transferring of educational competences to the municipality level, especially if there is a conflict regarding the enabling of certain national groups to attend classes in their own language. The central position of cantons in all segments of education is especially fortified with the fact that the cantons are the ones that act as exclusive financiers of these activities. It is from this key right that they obtain all other rights and obligations in the area of education.

    The result of this is that there exist a large number of laws and by-laws in education, which creates an illusion of a well-structured educational system, while what this really does is bring into question its consistency. The educational system in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is regulated by laws on the federal and cantonal levels with a total of 47 laws and 17 by-laws.

    128. Bosnia and Herzegovina had, within the framework of the process of joining and integration into the European educational space established within the framework of the Bologna declaration, started a process of educational reform. The reform process is directed, above all, at the harmonization and modernization of the existing numerous, diverse, closed, and stereotypical educational legislature. Within the framework of this process, one of the first adopted laws is the Framework Law on Primary and Pecondary Education of Bosnia and Herzegovina , whereas the Law on Higher Education in BiH is in preparation.

    129. With the Framework Law on Primary and Secondary Education in BiH, a framework has been created for the legitimate procedures of all actors in education, which allows for a better quality, a more harmonized approach, comparability and a closer approach to the practices of European and other countries in the world. It is important to mention that, within the framework Law on the Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is also one of the laws that has been passed in the last period, especially established that in education, in relation to the Equality of genders, there needs to be an emphasis on the significance of giving equal opportunities to men and women. In the article 5 of this law it is stated:

    “That all have equal rights to education, regardless of gender.”

    Educational institution is not allowed to conduct gender-based discrimination in relation to:

    1. the conditions of acceptance,

    2. the refusal of acceptance,

    3. the means of providing services and benefits

    4. exclusion from the process of education,

    5. evaluation of achieved results during education

    equal conditions in career building and professional specialization, professional development, and earning of degrees,

    other possible cases.

    In the article 6 of the same law:

    “The competent authorities, educational institutions, and other legal persons will ensure that the curricula and methodologies provide for the establishing of an educational system that will guarantee the elimination of those curricula that contain stereotypical social role of men and women, and which result in the discrimination and inequality of genders.

    The subject matters that promote the Equality of genders are an integral part of the curriculum for all levels of education.

    The competent authorities, educational institutions, and other legal agents will ensure effective mechanisms in protection against discrimination and sexual harassment and will not take any disciplinary or other punitive measures against that person because of the fact that he or she complained about discrimination, harassment, or sexual harassment, or testified about discrimination, harassment, or sexual harassment.”

    Therefore, this legal framework is completely sufficient for an easier realization of activities in education that will improve the opportunities for the less represented gender. It is still necessary to mention that the implementation of these measures is a long-term process.

    130. With the aim of analyzing the trends and developments of gender structure of education of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in order to compare the previous state with the present, it is necessary to consider an overview of the conditions in the area of education in the pre-war period.

    a) Data analysis from the period before 1992 indicates that there were significant differences in the degree of education of women and men in BiH:

    b) in 1991, 44% of adult women did not complete primary education, while the percentage of adult men who did not complete primary education was significantly lower and amounted to 23%,

    c) in 1991, only 30% of women in BiH achieved secondary education, while the percentage of men was significantly higher and amounted to 49%.

    These differences were not only a consequence of gender inequality in the approach to the educational system. They are partially linked to two demographic factors: longer life span of women and the tendency of older generations to generally achieve a lower level of education.

    131. The trends in education present evidence that the total situation, as far as education of women in BiH is concerned, has been showing signs of improvement in the period between 1971 up to 1991:

    a) the degree of illiteracy among women has been reduced by 50 percent in the 20 years preceeding the war in BIH,

    b) however, in 1991, the degree of illiteracy of women in BiH (16.4 %) had still been higher than the degree of illiteracy of men (3.4%).

    The percentage of women with secondary and higher education had increased in the period from 1981 to 1991, but these percentages are still lower than those regarding men.

    132. According to the data available for the analyzed population of BiH, the number of educated persons is composed of an almost equal number of men and women. However, there exist significant differences in the representation of men and women within certain categories of education.

    From the aspect of gender, the data indicate significant variations in structure as far as the different levels of education are concerned. In the eighties, the majority of uneducated adults were composed of women (about 75%). In the same period, women were insufficiently represented in the higher levels of education. It is calculated that, out of the total population, men present three fifths to three quarters of adults with secondary or higher education.

    (The data has been presented in the tables in the annex).

    The general conclusion is that the gender structure in these categories had changed in the period between 1981 and 1991. As far as the levels of education are concerned, in most cases one can observe an improvement in the Equality of men and women. The greatest improvement has been achieved in primary education because in 1991 the participation of women had risen to 49%. The participation of women in secondary education had increased from 33% to 37%, and as far as university education is concerned, the percentage of women had increased from 31% to 37%.

    133. The degree of education of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina had, therefore, risen in the period from 1981 up to 1991. The best result had been achieved in the higher levels of education. The percentage of women with secondary education had almost doubled, increasing from 1,4% in 1981 to 2,7% in 1991. Still, the general situation is that the women continue to have a lower degree of education than men do.

    134. The trend of decreasing illiteracy in women before 1992, the increased participation of women in all educational levels, and an approximately equal number of enrolled boys and girls in 1995 (see the analysis, statistical data) indicates that the inequality of genders is closely tied to the historical and demographic trends, and that it will slowly disappear with time.

    135. The educational system in BiH today integrates education into the four of the following levels:

    1. pre-school education,

    2. primary education,

    3. secondary education,

    4. higher education.

    The educational institutions in BiH are mostly public institutions. With the law on schools a possibility for private education has been opened up, and in the last period there have been intensified initiatives for the opening of private institutions at all levels of education.

    136. A significant segment through which the state enables working women to take care of their children is the organizing of pre-school institutions.

    Pre-school education, that is not mandatory, has been established for children between one and six years of age. In BiH, there exist 148 pre-school institutions, out of which 105 are located in the Federation of BiH (nursery and kindergarten, two of which are private), are attended by 8% of children and employ 749 teachers.

    In RS, there exist 39 pre-school institutions, that are attended by 3% of children and employ 435 teachers.

    The laws in BiH maintain that pre-school education is an integral part of the educational system and that it is of special social interest. Pre-school education is the responsibility of the municipality and falls under the jurisdiction of social care. It is not mandatory and the number of children attending it varies from one municipality to the other.

    Pre-school education can be achieved in pre-school institutions, in special institutions for children with extensive difficulties in psychological and physical development, and in institutions for social care that take on children without any parental guardianship. Lately, pre-school education has been introduced into regular primary schools.

    The financing of pre-school institutions is conducted in such a manner that the founder ensures resources for the establishment and the commencement of the work of the institution, as well as for the educational labor, while the parents participate in the payment for the nourishment and for the portion of resources for educational work.

    Generally, that coverage is significantly below the level of real needs.

    137. At the moment, financing is the responsibility of the municipality budgets, so that the fate of pre-school education depends on the material and financial situation of the individual municipalities.

    The total number of children that currently attend pre-school institutions has been significantly lower, which according to the available data indicates that pre-school education covers a very small population of pre-school children.

    Out of the total number of medical and educational workers, a negligibly small portion are men. We can interpret this by the fact that in these territories there exist prejudices that this profession is a feminine (womanly) one, although it has been shown in practice that men are very popular and very successful teachers. The situation is slightly different as far as the directors of institutions for pre-school education are concerned. It is interesting that female directors are usually pre-school teachers, while the male directors are chosen according to a different set of criteria and are not teachers by profession, nor have they conducted previous work in pre-school institutions.

    This confirms the conclusion that men are found in management and in decision-making positions.

    138. Primary education in BiH in the school year 2002/2003 is conducted in 1,864 schools in total, with 364,914 students and 20,874 teachers, out of which 13,502 are women and 7,372 are men. More detailed data can be found in the statistical annex in the attachment - EDUCATION.

    Primary education is mandatory, providing general knowledge and skills and establishing a basis for any further education.

    Primary school can be public or private property. Municipalities or cantons mostly found primary school as a public institution.

    Besides regular elementary school, there also exist: special primary schools and institutes, parallel primary schools (for music and ballet), and the school for the primary education of adults. Primary education in regular primary schools starts with 6 to 7 years of age and lasts for 8 years. For children with disabilities in development, primary education is obligatory from their 7th to their 15th year of life.

    139. Although all laws on education give an equal opportunity for schooling to male and female children, it is a fact that there exists a difference in education in rural and urban areas. That is, primary education is mandatory, but there exist evidence, especially in the less developed rural areas, that insufficient efforts have been made in ensuring schooling for girls.

    It is a known fact that even before the war, it was observed that in the rural areas of BiH (Bihac region, Eastern Bosnia) female children often abandoned primary schooling in order to work in agricultural and other jobs in the households. One of the reasons for the girls’ failure to complete primary education is the distance of the schools from certain rural places.

    This is why the measures to be implemented within the framework of legislature primarily relate to the complete implementation of all laws and international directives for the protection of human rights, especially the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    In the spirit of the European Convention, a higher level of guarantee and protection of the right of the child is necessary, so that in every case relating child’s rights the principle of achieving child’s best interest is to be implemented.

    Within the framework of the authority of the inspection service, which acts within the framework of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, up to now there had been no requests for any kind of process related to the violation of the rights of women, that is, female children in the area of education.

    140. Secondary school can be in state and in private property. Most existing secondary schools are state schools. In secondary schools, the curricula of regular secondary school are followed, including the education of students with special needs, as well as the education of adults.

    In the period from 1999 to 2001, activities within the framework of Phare-vet program on reform of secondary vocational education have been intensified. These activities are foreseen to last until the year 2006, up to when it has been planned to conduct reform in all secondary vocational schools in the area of BiH, in accordance with international standards. With the help of the European Commission and the World Bank, in the period from 2002 to 2006, a reform of primary and secondary education has been planned.

    141. Students are enrolled into secondary school after a successfully completed primary school. Enrollment is conducted based on an open competition, and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the secondary school.

    Education in a secondary vocational school usually lasts for three years, exceptionally four years, or two years for less complex vocations. In other secondary schools, education lasts for 4 years, exceptionally for 5 years. Data on the enrollment from 1995 do not indicate that there have been significant discrepancies between the enrollment of men and women for any level of education. Since the exact ratio of men to women within the framework of the total population is unknown, these conclusions are rather speculative.

    N053156303.jpg

    142. In the period from 1999 to 2000, the number of girls that completed secondary school was slightly smaller than half (46%). This data is linked to the fact that only 40% of them completed some technical school or other vocational schools, which have a higher degree of enrollment than all other kinds of secondary schools. However, girls constitute the majority as far as gymnasiums are concerned (65%). There is also significant segregation within the category of technical and vocational (artisan) schools. Within the framework of a dozen of programs that have a high degree of enrollment, as are the schools for mechanical, technical, transportation, and construction-related occupations, boys are the dominant ones. Girls constitute a majority in those schools that are linked to services, in textile schools, medical schools, economic and trade/commerce schools.

    143. The last data on the number of students of secondary schools indicate that the gender structure varies depending on the type of school. In the school year 1998/1999, out of the total number of secondary school graduates in gymnasiums and art schools, 65% of them are girls, and in secondary teachers’ schools 83% are girls. However, the majority of secondary school graduates of technical and vocational schools are boys (59%). Although the data on incompletion of school were not available, the data on enrollment from the previous years indicate that the ratio in gender structure of high school graduates matches the ratio upon enrollment.

    144. As far as the continuation of regular education is concerned, girls in the rural areas have continued schooling in secondary school in smaller numbers than the girls from the urban areas for a number of reasons. The families could not buy the textbooks, clothes, and tickets for transportation, so the girls stayed at home and helped out with household work. The parents’ concern for the moral of the girls that could be changed in the urban areas also had an influence on the continuation of education. Individual cases show that women completed their studies in smaller percentages, because of pregnancy and raising of kids. The other two reasons for concern that influence the decrease of the opportunities for women to exercise their rights to equal-based education are in close connection. These are the gender stereotypes contained in pedagogic subject matter (especially in textbooks for primary and secondary education) and the gender segregation in secondary and professional education, not at university level.

    145. Almost 99% of children that enroll in first grade of primary school successfully reach the fifth grade of primary school. According to this indicator, there is no difference between boys and girls, nor is there a difference between the rural and urban areas. After the completion of fourth grade of elementary school, there is a decrease in the number of children that continue their education, and this is especially true for the rural areas. In these cases, female underage children are especially affected.

    146. Before the war, higher-level education was also centralized. A unique law on university regulated the founding, management, and organization of universities.

    The decentralization of education puthigher education in a new position and opened up a series of issues and problems. At the moment, higher education in the Federation of BiH is on the cantonal, and in RS on the central level.

    In BiH, there are a total of 7 universities with 102 higher education institutions. Faculties, academies, and colleges function within the framework of higher education institutions.

    TABLE 10.1.

    Graduated students in BiH, by gender 1998 – 2002



    Total
    Colleges
    Faculties
    Academies
    Religious schools
    1998
    Total
    3133
    686
    2377
    27
    43

    male
    1259
    154
    1057
    1o
    38

    female
    1874
    532
    1320
    17
    5
    1999
    total
    3038
    461
    2502
    59
    16

    Male
    1283
    147
    1109
    17
    11

    Female
    1755
    314
    1393
    42
    5
    2000
    Total
    3673
    756
    2850
    50
    17

    Male
    1536
    245
    1250
    25
    16

    Female
    2137
    511
    1600
    25
    1
    2001
    Total
    4444
    1003
    3324
    92
    25

    Male
    2025
    35o
    1626
    33
    16

    Female
    2419
    653
    1698
    59
    9
    2oo2
    Total
    4319
    661
    3525
    92
    41

    Male
    1747
    236
    1453
    30
    28

    Female
    2572
    425
    2072
    62
    13

    147. The trends of gender segregation can also be observed in higher education. Statistical data that are found in the attachment present the representation of women in the different areas of higher education. Women present a majority in the areas related to health (pharmacy, stomatology, medicine), education, and language studies. In comparison to that, only 10% of women are students in areas such as mechanical engineering or electrical engineering, and less than 25% are involved in areas such as physical culture (sports), transportation, criminology studies, and mining.

    Insufficient representation of women among the selected state officials is conditioned by the fact that only 37% of women are included in political science, and can be a cause for concern.

    148. The areas of science that have an approximately equal number of men and women are law, economics, architecture and biochemical sciences.

    The unequal representation of girls and boys is especially visible in the higher levels of education. This is highly emphasized in the statistical data that show the number of enrolled students in the faculties in BiH, for example, in construction engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, electrical engineering and similar faculties where the discrepancies between the much larger numbers of enrolled men in comparison to the number of enrolled women are highly visible. In the other faculties, such as mathematical sciences, philosophy, law, economy, or medicine, a disproportionate number of enrolled women in comparison to men can be observed. The number of men and women is approximately equal only in a number of higher education institutions, such as art academies, architecture or technological faculties. In the Sarajevo canton, for example, out of total of 698 students accepted to the faculty of electrical engineering, only 140 (20%) of them are women; in the transportation engineering faculty, out of total of 347 students only 36 (10,4%) of them are women, Mechanical engineering faculty accepts 402 students out of which only 66(16,4 %) of them are women; in the Faculty for Physical Culture (sports) there are 367 students, out of which 37 are women; in the Faculty of Ccriminology Studies out of 1014 students, only 171 (16,9 %) are women.

    Unlike the professional stereotypes in other countries, medicine is predominantly an area of female interest in BiH, and is dramatic percentage-wise as is the case with other areas. In the Sarajevo canton, out of 904 students enrolled in the Medical faculty, 582 are female students (64,4%). We can observe the gender representation even through sub-groups: for example, women dominate in the areas of gynecology, pediatrics, and general medicine, while the sergeants are mostly men.

    Women consist a majority in other faculties related to fields of health such as Stomatology; 422 women out of the total 610 students (69,8%) and Pharmacy where out of the total 390 students 344 of them are women (88,2%).

    One can observe from the data that the gender segregation in education is obvious and spread-out, and it is clear that men and women do not have the same conditions for the building of their career in BiH. Thus, it is the task of the state to research these disproportions and to indicate the current trend.

    The percentage of female students in relation to the total enrolled number in certain
    institutions for higher education, 1999-2000


    TOTAL
    FEMALE STUDENTS
    % TOTAL
    Pedagogic academy
    1283
    944
    73,6%
    Higher medical schools
    559
    399
    71,4%
    Art academies
    618
    360
    58,3%
    Islamic pedagogic academies
    401
    172
    42,9%
    Religious schools
    583
    145
    24,9%

    Source: Statistical Annual Report from 2000, Federal Institute for Statistics of FbiH

    149. On the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period from 1996 to 2000, a total of 348 post-graduates earned a Masters degree, out of which 126 were women (36,2%). The greatest number of women that earned a Masters degree in this period is from the areas of health and social care (46 Master degrees – 36,5%). In RS, there are available data that indicate how many women have been employed who have : a PhD degree (12%), a Masters degree (12%), women with university degree (30%), and with high school education (37%).

    On the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period from 1996 to 2000, a total of 158 PhD students graduated, out of which 42 are women (26, 58%). The greatest number of women that earned a PhD degree in this period is from the areas of health and social policy (28 women – 66,6%).

    In Republika Srpska, in the period from 1999 to 2002, a total of 104 post-graduates earned their Masters degrees, out of which 71 are males (or 68%), and 33 or 32% are women. In the same period, 98 PhD students earned their PhD degrees, out of which 36 are men (or 75%), and 12 of them are women (or 25%).

    150. The most numerous national minorities in BiH are the Roma. The research of the Center for the protection of the rights of minorities in 1999 has shown that only 30% of the surveyed Roma families were without family members who are illiterate, and 23% have 4 or more members of the family that are illiterate. In the FBiH, the Institute for statistics does not keep track of the enrollment rate according to the nationality of the students. Therefore, there are no official data on the number of Roma children that attend school, and thus, it is not possible to give a gender estimation regarding this.

    The most comprehensive data are those in Sarajevo canton that state that there are 119 Roma children of pre-school age, out of which not a single has been enrolled in pre-school institutions.

    In the school year 1995/1996, according to the information of “Our future”, there were 582 Roma kids ages 7 to 18 in the Sarajevo canton out of which only 189 or 33% attended schools regularly.

    At the start of the school year 2000/2001, there were activities of the groups as is the case with the Roma NGO and community in Biberovici in Tuzla Canton, Sapna municipality, where preparatory classes were organized for a group of Roma children during 1998/99. Classrooms were formed as a result of the initiative of the adult members of the Roma community, in cooperation with the Roma Association “Kata Acha”, and with the help in equipment and materials from the local schools. In the school years from 1999 to 2002, the NGO “Be my friend”-Sarajevo, in partnership with the organization “Save the children” UK, organized preparatory classrooms for Roma children from the three Roma communities in the Sarajevo canton. Some time ago, the “Step-by-Step” program had been introduced for the Roma children in FBiH.

    According to the research of the Roma association “Our future” from Sarajevo, in the school year 1995/1996, 582 Roma children of school age lived in the Sarajevo canton, out of which only 13 (2%) were enrolled in high school, and only 4 (1%) in university.

    There exist special institutions with accommodation for children with disabilities in development, which are categorized as special schools. Research shows that the Roma are not disproportionately represented in the system of special schools.

    Professional development

    151. The approach to professional development does not contain elements of discrimination, but it is fragmented, uniform, without analysis of needs and interests of the teachers/schools.

    The social status of the teacher is directly reflected on the selection of the profession and the motivation of the teachers for professional development.

    As far as science and scientific research in Bosnia and Herzegovina are concerned, they are not regulated in a systematic fashion.

    The survey of UNDP (2000) had shown that, much like in other countries in transition in the Central and Eastern Europe, more than 60% of young people intend to leave BiH if they get an opportunity to do so. One of the reasons for which young people want to leave BiH is the inadequate education system, a consequence of poor management, which has lead to poor conditions and equipment, outdated teaching methods, and inadequately standardized qualifications, as well as a distance from the research and teaching achievements in the rest of Europe.

    However, based on an open competition organized by the Federal Ministry of education, science, culture, and sport for the allocation of a short term financial assistance for the writing of Masters thesis, we get a different picture regarding the interest of young people for scientific and research work than was the case with the previous survey.

    179 candidates applied for the assistance, out of which 94 were women and 85 were men. There were 23 scholarships approved, 11 of them to women and 12 of them to men.

    At the open competition for the writing of PhD dissertation, 132 candidates applied, out of which 51 were women and 81 were men. 27 scholarships have been approved, 16 of them to women and 11 to men.

    At the open competition for the financing of the realization of research and scientific projects in the year 2002/2003, 155 scientific and research projects have been submitted. The leaders of the project (the executive researchers) for 31 projects were females, and for 124 projects they were men.

    45 research and scientific projects have been accepted in order to be financed by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport. On 13 projects the leaders were women, and on 32 projects the leaders were men, information that indicates the quality of women-researchers.

    Professional (specialized) training

    152. Gender stereotyping had also been visible in professional education. There existed some types of professional secondary schools in former Yugoslavia, four-year technical school that combined general and professional skills and gave its graduates a technician’s diploma, as well as a three-year course for a degree of skilled worker. With the destruction of many industrial facilities throughout BiH, the centers for the training of students in economy have also been destroyed.. With the help of the international community, some of these training programs have been revitalized. Many of these projects put an emphasis on those jobs related to the construction industry, with the aim of helping the unemployed and, especially, demobilized soldiers to get employment in these areas, having in mind that the industrial reconstruction is the main source of employment. The Foundation for Employment and Training (ETF), founded by the World Bank, the Government of the Federation, and the Government of RS made the greatest efforts in this area.

    The projects of training that have been especially intended for women, often conducted by independent NGOs, with international donor help, include, among other ones, typewriting, knitting, and sewing courses.

    The financing of continued education has been completely left to the employers.

    A few financing trainings have been developed so far:

    1. with the credit of the World Bank for the training of demobilized soldiers, war invalids, and family members of killed soldiers,

    2. through measures of active policy towards unemployed within the framework of public services for employment,

    3. individually and through enterprises (at a very small scale).

    The unemployed can get support in two basic ways:

    Through courses in job seeking, training in computer use, and courses which allow one to get a certain vocation held in centers for training and prequalification, or in adequate regular or experimental schools; through special projects for training and prequalification for a particular employment, prepared by enterprises and financed by public services.

    These trainings that mostly relate to the occupations in agriculture and construction, as well as those related to computer use have been financed by public services for employment and through donations.

    153. It is evident that on the territory of BiH there exists a great diversity in the content of the textbooks that could be characterized as gender stereotyping in pedagogic subject matter (especially in textbooks for primary and secondary education).

    In many programs and textbooks one can still find stereotypical examples of portrayals of men and women. For example, a woman is portrayed as a secretary, the one that cooks, cleans, prepares children for bed, while a man is portrayed as the manager, the one that earns a living, as a successful athlete, etc. Procedures have still not been initiated to prevent the repeating of these same gender prejudices in future teaching curricula.

    Based on the analysis of the content of the class subjects, which are studied in primary and secondary schools in BiH, it is found that one can almost find no subject matter related to family planning.

    In the subject Nature and Society, which is studied from grade 1 to grade 4 of primary school, in grade 1 there is talk about home and family, that is nuclear family and relatives, while in the second grade there is some more talk about giving birth to children and the parents’ responsibilities towards the children, as well as the children’s responsibilities towards the parents.

    In the subject Culture of living, democracy, and human rights there are no contents that would deal in any way or form with family planning. Children get certain basic knowledge by studying the subject Biology, and only those lucky ones that have conscientious headteachers, deal with this topic during homeroom time, at the initiative of homeroom teachers or students.

    However, this state will be improved since new subject matters are included as part of the framework of the education system reform, and these must also include this gender component.

    154. Seeing how complicated the organization system of BiH and the authorities related to education are, coordination is one of the important issues in achieving a harmonized practice and implementing the same standards in education. The entity ministers of education have signed on May 10th of 2000 a Declaration and Agreement on Harmonizing Parallel Educational Systems. Starting with the school year 2000/2001 a responsibility has been taken over to, build in contents of cultural, literary, and linguistic heritage of all three peoples into the curricula, as well as to intensively work on harmonization of program contents, decreasing the burden on and modernizing the curricula in the future period.

    With that aim, a new, modularly established, curriculum has been introduced into 4 pilot-schools in the year 2000/2001.

    The Agency for standards has been formed with the task of determining the standards of education, checking them, and assessing the quality of certificate creation. The coordination body for harmonization of educational systems in BiH has also been formed, and it consists of the same ratio of Bosniak, Croat, and Serbian experts.

    Within the framework of the PHARE program, a process of modulation of curricula has been opened in the VET system of education.

    155. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the Entities, the payment of scholarships to students of all educational levels has still not been regulated by law. For now, stipends are still given out sporadically and from different sources in accordance with the rules and conditions of those who giving out scholarships, and the selection are mostly done through public ads and broadcasts. Researching the information available to us, we have not found any gender inequality in the approach to and the allocation of available scholarships.

    156. Within the framework of the project “Gender Equality and fairness in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, among the supported projects with the topic of gender, there were also six projects with objectives in the sphere of education, which is a direct activity from the article 10 of the Convention. Four projects were oriented towards work with selected persons of both genders on the development, promotion of gender, and the development of activities that would introduce gender comprehension into secondary schools. One project had the aim of analyzing Sociology and Philosophy textbooks for secondary schools, and it included students of sociology and philosophy of the Philosophy faculty in Banja Luka, as well as the professors of the above-mentioned subjects. Its result was a lesson manual for these subjects that would satisfy gender aspects. The other project dealt with the selection of occupations for primary and secondary school population. These projects have actually shown that work on programs should be started with pre-school children, and that a procedure for incorporating gender into school curricula is necessary.

    Based on the above stated it can be concluded:

    That the education in BiH is fragmented,

    That there doesn’t exist a unique legislative regulations for the entire territory of BiH,

    That the process of reform in education has been started,

    That there doesn’t exist a policy of giving out stipends and a profiled strategy for keeping young people in BiH,

    That the textbooks in BiH contain gender stereotypes about men, women, and their social roles.

    ARTICLE 11 LABOR, PENSIONS, AND SOCIAL PROTECTION

    Rights on the basis of labor

    157. According to the applicable laws in the area of labor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, every type of discrimination on the basis of right to labor and employment is forbidden. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the signee of more than 66 Conventions from the area of labor (MOR), so that it had passed new laws in the previous period, harmonizing them for the most part with the MOR Conventions.

    International labor standards that ensure complete Equality of all persons at work and in the approach to employment have been built into the new legislature, any type of discrimination is forbidden, and rights that are economically and financially sustainable, taking in mind the state of the Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economy, are determined. All benefits on the basis of labor are equal for men and women.

    158. According to the Law on labor, an employee’s full work time is 40 hours per week, while worker’s overtime is precisely regulated, determined by law, and forbidden for workers younger than 18, pregnant women, mother with children that are less than 3 years old, and single parents or adopters of children that are less than 6 years old. According to this Law, work between 10 pm and 6 am of the next day is considered night work, while for a worker younger than 18, night work is between 8 pm and 6 am of the next day, and if they are employed in industry, from 7pm to 7 am of the next day. Night work is forbidden for pregnant women, starting with their sixth month of pregnancy, as well as for workers younger than 18.

    The above-stated provisions are completely in accordance with the MOR Conventions, which are:

    Convention on the night work for women employed in industry- number 89, revised in 1948;

    Convention on employment of women before and after birth – number 3 from the year 1919;

    Convention on protection of motherhood – number 103, revised in 1952.

    159. All workers have a right to a daily rest during their work time for the duration of 30 minutes, which is counted into full work time, a daily rest between two consequent workdays of at least 12 straight hours, and a weekly rest of at least 24 straight hours.

    The right to annual leave is determined by law to be at least 18 days, while for underage workers this leave is to last for at least 24 work days. All other increases of annual leave are regulated through collective contracts and the book of regulation and rules at work.

    160. The law guarantees every worker the right to paid leave with reimbursement of salary (paid leave) for at least five days in the calendar year in cases determined by Law, as well as by collective contracts and book of regulation and rules at work, while unpaid leave is permitted for up to 3 days during the course of the calendar year for the purpose of fulfilling religious or national and traditional needs, which the employer has to approve, and he or she can also approve that leave at the request of the worker in other cases foreseen by law. Training period/internship is equally available to men and women, even in those areas that are usually not intended for women.

    During sick leave, or prevention from work, regardless of the basis, workers have the right to reimbursement of salary.

    Maternity leave (sick leave), to which a woman has the right with the reimbursement of salary in the amount of average salary earned by her three months before the start of maternity leave, should be dealt with separately.

    161. There is a possibility for shortened work time (part-time work) if the nature of the job permits it, and, as a rule, both men and women can utilize this possibility. These benefits affect earnings and other labor rights, so they are rarely used in practice.

    The Law on labor does not regulate or give a possibility for “work at home”. This issue is determined with the new General collective contract that is being discussed by partners in social dialogues, and which passing is expected to be soon.

    162. As far as other rights are concerned, marital status does not influence job security, but laws provide special measures with the aim of protecting women. Women are provided with special protection during pregnancy, and work in all jobs that endanger their health and pregnancy is forbidden.

    With internal acts, the employer, in accordance with appropriate regulations, determines which jobs are especially bad for health.

    According to the Law on Labor, a woman that starts to work before the end of her maternity leave, aside from her daily break, also has the right to additional break in duration of 60 minutes for the purpose of breast feeding her child.

    During the time of pregnancy, or breastfeeding, a woman can be allocated to other jobs if that is in the interest of her health condition, as diagnosed by an authorized doctor. If the employer is not in the position to ensure transfer to other work, a woman has the right to absence from work with the right to salary reimbursement, in accordance with the collective contract and the book of rules and regulations at work. The temporary allocation cannot have, as a consequence, a decrease of the woman’s salary. An employer can transfer a woman to another work position only with her written consent.

    163. It is not known that women get lower earnings than men for the equal work.

    According to article 68 of the Law on labor, the collective contract, a book of rules and regulations, and a work contract determine the salaries of employees. Salary determined in such a fashion is guaranteed for every employee that works on certain jobs, irrespective of whether the person in question is a man or a woman. In practice up to now, not a single case has been recorded where a woman-employee complained about a lower salary compared to a man-employee that performs the same work.

    However, better-paid work places are not available to women under the same conditions as they are to men.

    164. An employer cannot refuse to employ a woman because of her pregnancy , or cancel her work contract due to that condition, or, except in cases where this is in the interest of her health, allocate her to other work assignments.

    In case an employer acts against the above-mentioned provision, he or she will be punished with a monetary fine for that transgression.

    165. The law on labor does not determine what jobs a woman can perform at home, but the law does also not forbid this possibility so that an employer and employee can agree to have the place of work be at home.

    - In case this is formal emplyment, then the employees will have all the rights pertaining, including the right to sick leave and annual leave.

    - The salary level for this kind of work will depend on what is the amount of salary anticipated by the book of rules and regulations that is the labor contract.

    Unemployment and choice of occupation

    166. According to the valid laws, there do not exist limitations in terms of exercising rights to employment and choice of occupation for a woman. In the period of transition, in which Bosnia and Herzegovina is, employers often tend to employ men, or to fire women first, as well as hire workers from the black market. The total indicators, according to the currently available data, still show that, in total, the rate of unemployment for Bosnia and Herzegovina is extremely high, and that it has almost the same affect on the employment of both genders.

    The newly arisen situation is the consequence of the general state in the economy. The parts of economy that should sustain the entire economy are in state of disintegration or complete transformation.

    167. In the situation of general transformation, we cannot talk about a better or worse situation of “female” or “male” branches in the way it would be possible in the previous system. With the general economic crisis, and with the presence of a great quantity of foreign aid, it is difficult to discuss regularity that indicates a presence of gender distinctions between the branches.

    168. It should be mentioned that there exists a strong link between the social role of a woman, her education, profession, and position on the labor market.

    The data available based on research shows that in Bosnia and Herzegovina there exist typically female and typically male professions. There still exist stereotypes regarding desirable occupations, as well as professions that are more performed by women or men and these are deeply rooted.

    TABLE. 11.2.

    The assessment of the reputation of certain occupations

    Occupation
    Very low
    Low
    Medium
    High
    Very high
    Cleaner
    51,0
    29,9
    13,8
    3,1
    2,2
    Bricklayer
    17,4
    38,1
    30,4
    9,7
    4,7
    Policeman
    13,3
    24,3
    43,7
    14,1
    4,6
    Engineer
    3,5
    9,2
    33,9
    38,5
    14,8
    Teacher
    6,6
    20,0
    47,8
    18,9
    6,6
    Judge
    2,4
    4,1
    20,2
    46,1
    27,1
    Singer
    3,6
    6,2
    19,1
    30,5
    40,7

    169. The entity governments, with the help of GEEP project Gender Equality and Equity in BiH, which was supported by the Finnish government, have formed government offices / Gender Centers that take comprehensive actions directed towards the raising and strengthening of the awareness of women in relation to being included into all branches of work and income earning.

    In the post-war period in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was a significant strengthening of the non-governmental female sector that already has an extremely strong influence on the creation of public action and raising of awareness of the public with the aim of removing stereotypes and usual rules related to the selection of occupations and inclusion of women in all flows of income generation and social development.

    170. More educated women are faced with a much bigger challenge than the less educated ones in the process of employment. The portion of women in the total number of unemployed is more than 50% as far as secondary, higher, and high education are concerned. That difference is, however, much more emphasized as far as secondary and higher than high education are concerned. If one takes into account the data on educational structure from twenty years ago and the number of women that graduated from faculties or higher schools in this period, we will see that the number of unemployed women in these groups is extremely high, that is, the number of those women with higher or high education looking for employment is extremely high and does not match the structure of education.

    171. The data of the Employment Bureau indicate that the age of men and women seeking employment is mostly uniform in the younger age categories. There do not exist significant differences in age groups from 15 do 25 and from 25 to 35 years. In the first age group 52% of men seek employment compared to 48% women, and in the second age group the relation is 57% to 43%. As the age of persons seeking employment increases, the participation of men enhances. In the age groups from 35 to 45 years, and from 45 to 55 years, as well as over 55, the participation of men goes from 60% to 90%. The data that one quarter of unemployed persons is agreed between 36 and 45 years should especially be a reason for concern.

    This data states that women seek employment right after they finish school and that, unless they find employment at the very beginning, they choose a different strategy –the founding of a family. This is why there are significantly less middle-aged women seeking employment through Employment Bureaus. There is a difference in the average age of men and women seeking employment. As far as men are concerned, the average age is 35,5 years, and as far as women are concerned, the average age is 32 years. The difference of 3,5 years is the result of a great number of older men seeking employment.

    TABLE 11.1

    Work population by census


    1971
    1981
    1991
    total
    2,205,536
    2,675,096
    2,857,092
    Men (15-64 years)
    1,092,781
    1,360,016
    1,500,378
    Women (15-59 years)
    1,112,755
    1,315,080
    1,356,719
    Participation of work population in total population %
    58,9
    64,9
    65,3

    TABLE 11.2.

    Unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996-2002
    year
    total
    men
    women
    Women in %
    1996
    298,822
    186,529
    111,293
    37,23
    1997
    364,856
    206,037
    154,819
    42,43
    1998
    398,469
    221,535
    176,961
    44,41
    1999
    409,290
    225,155
    184,135
    44,98
    2000
    421,198
    230,412
    190,786
    45,29
    2001
    416,753
    226,871
    189,882
    45,56
    2002
    435,505
    239,498
    196,007
    45,00

    TABLE 11.3.

    Employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996-2002

    year
    total
    men
    women
    Women in %
    Note data are missing for:
    1996
    244,561
    157,568
    86,993
    35.57
    RS
    1997
    259,889
    167,564
    92,325
    35.52
    RS
    1998
    651,314
    439,826
    211,488
    32.47

    1999
    630,890
    428,607
    202,283
    32,06

    2000
    639,053
    432,657
    206,396
    32,29

    2001
    625,643
    426,007
    199,636
    31,90

    2002
    624,914
    425,859
    199,055
    31,85

    Data source: Agency for Statistics of BiH

    TABLE 11.4. Average monthly salary, 1998-2002 (in KM)

    BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

    1998
    1999
    2000
    2001
    2002
    Net salary
    296
    343
    374
    443
    446
    Gross salary
    454
    503
    541
    652
    660
    Growth-net salary (%)
    n.a.
    15.9
    9.0
    18.4
    0.7
    Growth-gross salary (%)
    n.a.
    10.8
    7.6
    20.5
    1.2
    FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

    1998
    1999
    2000
    2001
    2002
    Net salary
    329
    374
    414
    443
    483
    Gross salary
    507
    551
    626
    652
    710
    Growth-net salary (%)
    n.a.
    13.7
    10.7
    7.0
    9.9
    Growth-gross salary (%)
    n.a.
    8.7
    13.6
    4.2
    8.9
    REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

    1998
    1999
    2000
    2001
    2002
    Net salary
    170
    216
    277
    309
    347
    Gross salary
    256
    314
    387
    444
    528
    Growth-net salary (%)
    n.a.
    27.1
    28.2
    11.6
    12.3
    Growth-gross salary (%)
    n.a.
    22.7
    23.2
    14.7
    18.9.

    Data source: Statistical bulletin 4, 2003, Agency for Statistics of BiH

    Note: Brcko District – different methodology for the collection of data on salaries
    DISTRICT BRCKO BIH

    2001
    2002



    Net salary
    504
    676



    Gross salary
    792
    1031



    Growth-net salary (%)
    n.a.
    34.1.



    Growth-gross salary (%)
    n.a.
    30.2



    TABLE 11.5

    Unemployment by age for 2001

    Age structure
    Unemployment in %
    19-24
    34.8
    25-49
    13.4
    50-60
    9.7
    TOTAL
    16.1

    Note: In the institutes for statistics, salaries are not recorded according to gender

    Source: Life standard measurement study (LSMS May 2002) and the Report on Human Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina

    TABLE 11.5a

    The number and structure of recorded unemployment in year 2001

    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Federation of BiH
    Republika Srpska

    Number
    Percentage
    Number
    Percentage
    Number
    Percentage
    A. The number of unemployed
    Total
    423,526
    100
    275,777
    100
    147,749
    100
    B. Gender
    Men
    234,731
    55.4
    148,084
    53.7
    86,647
    58.6
    Women
    188,795
    44.6
    127,693
    46.3
    61,102
    41.4
    C.Age
    Up to 26
    116,441
    27.5
    82,292
    29.8
    34,149
    23.1
    27-39
    175,008
    41.3
    114,723
    41.6
    60,285
    40.8
    40-49
    89,138
    21.0
    54,273
    19.7
    34,865
    23.6
    50 and more
    42,939
    10.1
    24,489
    8.9
    18,450
    12.5

    Data source: Statistical yearbook of 2001, Federal Institute for Statistics, Sarajevo

    Statistical data on economic and other trends, February 2002, Federal Institute for Statistics, Sarajevo

    Monthly statistical review, 4/2002, Bureau for employment of Republika Srpska.

    TABLE 11.6


    The number of users of the unemployment program


    1997
    1998
    1999
    2000
    2001
    A. Users of unemployment compensation ( in thousands)
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    n.a.
    n.a.
    n.a.
    n.a.
    n.a.
    Federation (annually)
    14.0
    29.4
    34.0
    27.4
    36.2
    Federation (end of year)
    2.0
    4.0
    2.3
    2.9
    3.3
    Republika Srpska (end of year)
    n.a.
    n.a.
    n.a
    1.3
    1-6
    B. The average amount of compensation for unemployment ( in KM)
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    n.a
    n.a
    n.a
    169.0
    153.7
    Federation
    n.a
    n.a
    n.a
    144.3
    155.1
    Republika Srpska
    n.a
    n.a
    n.a
    193.6
    152.3

    Source: Federal Bureau for Employment (internal material), Federation of BiH, Sarajevo

    Monthly overview, No. 4/2001, Institute for statistics of Republika Srpska .

    TABLE 11.7

    Number of workers on hold, Federation years 1997-2001


    1997
    1998
    1999
    2000
    2001 (July)
    Total
    87,781
    70,985
    53,912
    40,262
    31,991
    Industry and mining
    58,60
    47,951
    36,721
    28,927
    21,260
    Agriculture and fishery
    24,60
    1,754
    1,199
    741
    680
    Forestry
    730
    525
    290
    0
    0
    Waterpower
    115
    114
    74
    181
    131
    Construction
    7,752
    6,464
    5,514
    4,406
    4,092
    Transport and communications
    4,828
    3,650
    2,630
    2,000
    1,983
    Trade
    5,758
    4,703
    3,646
    2,661
    2,540
    Service industry and tourism
    1,071
    748
    678
    576
    690
    Art and artisanship
    1,868
    1,846
    1,426
    0
    0
    Public communal services
    243
    129
    110
    7
    7
    Financial and other services
    3,596
    2,627
    1,413
    713
    543
    Education and culture
    338
    196
    114
    9
    22
    Health and social protection
    299
    139
    56
    9
    17
    Public administration
    165
    94
    41
    17
    26

    Source: Federal Institute for statistics, Statistical data on economic and other trends, several editions

    NOTE: We do not dispose of comparable data for RS.

    Private sector

    TABLE 11.7

    Owners according to type of activity, by gender

    Women
    Activity
    Men
    48%
    Artisans
    34%
    18,1%
    Restaurant owner
    21%
    0,3%
    Auto transportation
    22%
    33,6%
    Other
    23%

    As far as women are concerned, one can observe the concentration of women in the group “artisans” and there is a more significant frequency in the group “others”. Since we do not dispose of available data, we assume that the owners of trade/commerce stores are the most numerous ones in the group “others”. When the relations of gender structure within activities are compared, we get the information that women come close to men with their participation in the area of artisanship and “other” businesses. In the area of auto transportation, there is a complete dominance of the male population (the most numerous ones are probably the taxi drivers).

    The data show that out of total number of men employed in the private sector only 29% have the status of a worker. When the gender structure of workers in the private sector is observed, we can observe the dominance of the female work force.

    Men 41,5%
    Women 58,5%

    The concentration of male work force is found in the typical male areas, such as auto transportation, and the concentration of female work force cannot be determined with certainty. It can only be assumed that it is in the area of trade/commerce.

    Table

    Workers according to activities

    Women
    Activity
    Men
    57%
    Artisans
    43%
    57%
    Restaurant owners
    43%
    11%
    Auto transportation
    89%
    64%
    Other
    46%

    176. This kind of situation in the private sector can be observed from two perspectives. The participation of women in the private sector with 45% (owners and workers) and in the ownership with 37% says that women are ready to enter a new and risky area of business. This statement gains on strength when all data and conclusions from the sphere of social and state sector, in which women are rarely in management positions, and where they perform less responsible and demanding jobs, are taken in consideration. Now they appear responsible for their job, and this often means the taking over of responsibility for the entire family (supplementing the household budget or even maintaining their family). They are ready to get involved into completely new forms of business dealings and accept all their advantages and faults.

    GRAPH

    N053156304.jpg


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