A two-day expert workshop held in Jahorina brought together key representatives from across Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve systemic reporting and data collection on digital and sexual violence against women.
The event, which took place on 12-13 May 2025, aimed to strengthen institutional capacities on comprehensive data collection and analysis as a foundation for monitoring trends, allocating resources efficiently, and evaluating progress in combating violence against women.
The importance of reliable data goes beyond statistics—it is essential for advancing legislative reforms, improving victim support services, and ensuring compliance with international standards.
This workshop is part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ongoing efforts to align its domestic laws with the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, a key treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. As a state party, Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to upholding the Convention’s provisions, grounded in the European Convention on Human Rights, to ensure that all women and girls can live free from violence and receive the support they need.
Participants included representatives from a wide range of institutions, including the BiH Gender Equality Agency, entity-level gender centres, the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs, entity ministries of justice and interior, the Federation of BiH Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, and the Brčko District Government. This diverse group collaborated to share expertise, address existing gaps, and identify practical solutions for enhancing data collection systems.
The workshop marked a key step in fostering cross-institutional collaboration and reaffirmed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s commitment to meeting its international obligations in protecting women and girls from all forms of violence.
The workshop was organised as part of the project “Combating digital and sexual violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina II” implemented by the Council of Europe under the Action plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025 and funded through voluntary contributions, Council of Europe writes.
Photo: Council of Europe
