“There is no EU integration process without women’s participation“, Nada Golubovic, a member of the newly established Women’s Advisory Board stated at the inaugural ceremony held at the EU House in Sarajevo on Wednesday, 29 May.
The ten-member Women’s Advisory Board was selected among 30 civil society organisations representing women from all segments of the BiH society. It was appointed as part of the EU-supported initiative “Include Women in Change Processes” aiming to advocate and advice on issues related to the gender equality in politics and all sphere of public life.
“We are here to listen to you. We see you as advisory group that would advise us on whether we are going in the right direction, taking into account perspectives of women,” the EU Special Representative and Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Ambassador, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, stated addressing the Board’s during its first session.
“Include Women in Change Processes” is a joint initiative of the EUSR, the SIDA and the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, launched in December 2017.
The KTK Regional Manager for Western Balkan and Ukraine Ristin Thomasson stressed its importance: “The purpose of the Board to ensure that the EU integration is gender mainstreamed and that women’s voices are heard.”
In its first stage, the initiative gathered 100 women – public office holders, activists, entrepreneurs, legal experts, etc. – who discuss ways on how to improve position of women in the labour market, health care, social protection, sustainable peace and justice. Their conclusions and recommendations were presented to the authorities in 2018.
“We will now work to abolish the practice of discussing and deciding on our rights without us!” the Board member Lejla Golubovic concluded.
