The legal status of women

Details: Published: December 6, 2023

Source: Vaša Prava: Participants in the discussions

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Issues of equal rights for women in the law: a seminar on this theme was held in Sarajevo on 4 October 2023, organised by the IRZ with the non-governmental organisation, Vaša Prava, which operates a nationwide network for legal advice and representation of persons in need and vulnerable groups.

This event was made possible by project support from the Federal Foreign Office, and the target groups were the lawyers working at Vaša Prava, judges and representatives of other organisations, including the Agency for Gender Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the non-governmental organisation TRIAL International, which is active in the protection of victims of crime.

A wide range of topics were covered, including the treatment of women in inheritance law in Bosnian-Herzegovinian practice and the experiences in the legal representation of women who were victims of sexual violence during the war. In the latter area, the association recently obtained a landmark decision for one of its clients, who was awarded damages amounting to tens of thousands of Euros.

The situation of women in the area of domestic violence is particularly problematic. Many cases fail to be prosecuted here because the victims refuse to report them through a sense of shame, and also because the police are reluctant to take action, as these cases are internal family matters.

Adisa Zahiragić, a judge at the Sarajevo Cantonal Court, and Ahmet Salčin and Emir Prcanović, two senior directors of Vaša Prava, gave presentations to ensure that the event included both the perspective of the judiciary and that of consulting practice. The situation in Germany was set out by Ms. Ramona Pisal, former President of the Potsdam Regional Court and Vice President of the IRZ Board of Trustees. Her comments on domestic violence and proposals for potential improvement in the legal situation of victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina resonated with all the participants and provoked great interest and formed a basis for some intense discussions.

More information in the country language is available on the Vaša Prava homepage and on Facebook.