In Mostar, on Wednesday, an artistic-activist performance called “Chairs that speak” began, which will, until December 10th, remind citizens of the 15 victims of femicide in the past two years in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
The performance is being held at the Spanish Square, organized by the Initiative of Citizens of Mostar, and is part of the global campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” which lasts from November 25th to December 10th – Human Rights Day.
A reminder of one of the most serious social problems
The Initiative points out that the performance was organized not long after the murder of Aldina Jahic (32), and that it represents an opportunity for the public to confront one of today’s most serious problems – gender-based violence and femicide.
The vice president of the Initiative, Alma Pelo Zagorcic, said that behind them there are 15 chairs with the initials of women murdered in the past two years.
“Those are the data we received based on the research of Ms. Senka Kurt and from non-governmental organizations. We also have the problem of the non-existence of a register of femicide victims,” she warned, calling on the citizens of Mostar to attend the performance and, if they wish, bring a flower as a symbolic tribute.
The Initiative also emphasized the question that accompanies each chair: “How many more?”
Three women murdered since the beginning of 2025
The executive director of the Initiative, Ifeta Cesir Skoro, stated that by the start of the performance in 2025, three women had been murdered in BiH, two of them only in this month. The data were collected in research conducted with the support of the OSCE.
“On the chairs are QR codes with data about femicide victims. The data show that these are women of various ages, and the longer the life was, the longer the violence lasted,” Skoro emphasized.
She added that a large part of the violence was not reported because women did not have trust in the system, due to deeply rooted patriarchy, and that in cases where the violence was reported, the protection system failed.
“I ask citizens to raise their voice together. Together we can do a lot – to point out to the protection system that women need to be believed and that they need to be protected,” she said.
Focus on digital violence and community support
Skoro emphasized that this year’s campaign is especially dedicated to digital violence, and that the local community has prepared video messages of support for women and girls, available on the social networks of the Initiative.
The performance was supported by the City of Mostar, the Swedish organization Kvinna till Kvinna, and Mostar Gymnasium, whose students and teaching staff helped prepare the performance, Federalna writes.
