The Council of Ministers BiH adopted the Framework strategy for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention on the Prevention and Fight against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence in BiH, for the period 2015-2018 in July 2015.

Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the first countries in Europe to have passed a policy document for the implementation of the Convention, which obligates the state to combat violence against women and domestic violence. The Gender Equality Agency BiH spearheaded the process and showed strong strategic leadership in public policy development and advancing gender equality.

In order to improve the current situation the commitment of the entities and cantons will be of prime importance. Entities and cantons need to reform their legislature, strengthen their judicial, prosecutorial, social and police capacities and provide the essential support for the work of the safe houses and for the programs for the victims’ economic empowerment.

Republika Srpska withheld its support for this document, considering it a matter under Entity and not State jurisdiction. Despite this, the Strategy was adopted by the Council of Ministers. We hope that it will be implemented in the entire state.

The Convention on the Prevention and Fight against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence was adopted on 11 May 2011 in Istanbul. The Convention is the first legally binding document by the Council of Europe in the field of prevention and combating violence against women, following a series of recommendations made by the Council regarding the prohibition of gender-based discrimination and protection from violence, which were not legally binding and instead aimed to define common goals and establish minimum standards for members states.

On 7 November 2013 BiH became the sixth member state of the Council of Europe to ratify the Convention, and so the State bound itself to implement legislative and other changes in order to establish the legal, institutional and organizational framework for prevention of violence against women, protection of the victims of violence and punishment of the perpetrators.

You can find the Orange Report 2016 – Annual Report on the State of Women’s Rights in BiH following this link.