Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, Ambassador Fletcher M. Burton, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, reaffirmed the OSCE’s commitment to promoting greater gender equality and increased political participation of women at all levels.
“‘Inspiring change’ is this year’s global theme, and you are doing just that in B&H’s contemporary political life. Not only are you proving your professionalism and ability, but you are also demonstrating your equal capacity with men to represent B&H’s citizens, inspiring others to follow your example,” he said in a message to elected women in office.
Burton noted numerous successes in 2013, including the appointment of the first woman Prime Minister at any political level in BiH, the proliferation of Gender Action Plans, and the establishment of a Women’s Caucus in the FBiH Parliament.
Despite these achievements, Burton highlighted that women remain significantly underrepresented across B&H. “The number of women elected to office as parliamentarians and councillors remain low at all levels in B&H. Equally concerning is the low number of women appointed to positions of power in executive government structures across the country, with some commendable exceptions.”
“Gender equality is a fundamental element of comprehensive security and our commitment to the equal participation of women and men in all spheres of life is stronger than ever,” Burton concluded.
His comments come following a week dedicated to promoting greater gender equality in BiH. OSCE-supported activities included a regional conference gathering women MPs from across Southeast Europe to discuss gender equality in parliamentary working bodies, an award ceremony recognizing champions of gender equality in BiH, an exhibition of works by women artists highlighting the struggle towards gender quality in B&H and a thematic session at the B&H PA on processing domestic violence cases.
