The Minister of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, Admir Katica, and Minister for Education, Naida Hota Muminović, welcomed today the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, and this city’s delegation, currently on an official visit to Sarajevo.
Barcelona and Sarajevo are linked by more than three decades of friendship and cooperation, including the exchange of experiences on projects that prevent domestic violence and support victims of gender-based violence, through the efforts of the Local Democracy Foundation. Barcelona has systematically dealt with the issue of domestic violence, and its experiences are of great importance for applying these practices in Sarajevo Canton.
The main topic of today’s meeting at the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton was projects related to preventing and fighting against gender-based violence.
Considering that the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton is planning to build a central facility where, among other things, the department for preventing domestic violence will be located, this segment of the project was presented at the meeting.
“This is one of the projects I am most proud of in my term. We saw in Barcelona how important it is to ensure an adequate space and technical conditions for working with victims and combating domestic violence. We also need this as well, and that is why we would like to have your support in achieving the full functionality of this department,” said Minister Katica after the presentation.
Minister Naida Hota Muminović spoke about the importance of early identification of domestic violence in children.
“Two years ago we adopted a Rulebook on keeping records of unacceptable behaviour patterns and/or other factors which may endanger the best interests of students and their protection, aimed at violence prevention and the identification of risky behaviors. Although we faced great resistance at the time, we are now seeing the results and know we did the right thing,” said Minister Hota Muminović.
The Mayor Jaume Collboni said that Barcelona also faces issues with domestic violence against women, and that they are trying to find solutions through cooperation between the police force, the education system and social services.
“We have to build a society in which women will live without fear, and children will grow without the danger of violence,” said Collboni. The Deputy Mayor, Maria Augenia Gay, spoke about concrete examples of how Barcelona faces these issues.
“We are currently in the stage of drafting a protocol on handling victims of sexual violence and procedures in such cases, aligned with the European directive. Also, we in Barcelona are now establishing so-called ‘purple points.’ During the large public gatherings, festivals, concerts, we have so-called ‘purple points’ where anyone who feels threatened, unsafe, or attacked can come and receive aid on the spot.”
Gay also spoke about the importance of prevention.
“In Barcelona, we are working a lot on implementing educational campaigns which are mostly directed towards men of all age groups, from kindergarten to adults. We teach men what violence against women is. We also implement those campaigns in kindergartens, schools, streets, public transport, and media.”
Where Barcelona has gone one step further is in providing a complete support package for women who are victims of violence. Based on an agreement signed between the City of Barcelona, the police, and the Bar Association, the moment the victim reports violence, she automatically receives legal aid – meaning a lawyer to guide her through the entire process.
The Ambassador of Spain to Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Maria Molina, as well as the Executive Director of the Local Democracy Foundation and founder of the Safe House, Jasmina Mujezinović, also attended today’s meeting at the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton.
