One of the most widespread problems both in the world and in Bosnia and Herzegovina is domestic violence. In earlier years, women were mostly silent and suffered violence for up to 40 years because, mainly for economic reasons, they did not have the opportunity to leave their husbands and decide for a safer life. However, there are also cases where they decide to suffer for the sake of their children or hope that the situation will improve.
In recent years, that has been changing. Awareness is growing in society when it comes to this problem, but women are also becoming braver because through safe houses and numerous non-governmental organizations that operate at these houses, it is possible for them to continue their lives outside of the family where they were abused. However, violence is still present to a large extent.
Nine safe houses
There are currently nine safe houses operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Six of them are in BiH entity of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and three in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entity Republika Srpska. People who have suffered violence stay in these houses, have therapy and can stay for up to six months, but there are also those who stay longer depending on the problem.
Since October 2000, the Local Democracy Foundation has been running the only Safe House – Shelter for women and children victims of domestic violence in the Sarajevo Canton.
For victims of violence, accommodation in the Safe House is always available and possible. It is carried out on the recommendation of the Center for Social Work and police administrations, and on the basis of a signed protocol on dealing with victims of domestic violence between the Foundation for Local Democracy, the Cantonal Center for Social Work and the MUP Sarajevo.
In the past 23 years, 2,314 women, children and girls have passed through the Safe House and Shelter for Girls in Sarajevo.
Arijana Ćatović, a psychologist at the Safe House of the Local Democracy Foundation, reminded that this institution has existed since 2000.
“We have safe housing for women and children who are victims of violence, and in addition we also have housing for girls. We have a safe space for girls who are victims of violence. The capacity of our safe house is about 35 women and children and ten more places for girls,” she said.
Empowerment of abused women
The main goal of the work of the Safe House is to provide physical protection and safety of victims, as well as psychosocial treatment with the aim of overcoming traumatic experiences and reintegration into the social community.
“Through the Safe House, we try to empower women psychosocially. We also strengthen them at the level that they are able to take care of themselves. Very often, the women who come to the Safe House have lived with alcoholics or drug addicts. We educate them and try to find them employment, before as soon as they leave the Safe House. Women come forward every day. We cooperate with centers for social work and the police. Women who are accommodated in the Safe House go through the system. The first step is reporting to the police or the Center for Social Work, then they contact us, and after that the women are accommodated here. The women also call the SOS telephone, where our volunteers direct the woman to the police or the Center for Social Work and that way she is accommodated again,” explained Ćatović.
In the past two years, 19 women were killed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is more talk about violence against women again after the tragic event that happened in Gradačac in August when Nermin Sulejmanović killed Nizama Hećimović.
“Unfortunately, when something happens, there is a reaction and then there is more talk about the problem of domestic violence. And in that period, there is a slightly higher number of reports because there is a lot more information about it in the media, there is more discussion. And that tells us about that this topic should not be forgotten and that it should be constantly discussed. Even before this unfortunate event and everything that has happened recently, Safe House had full capacity. We have periods when our capacity is 100 percent full, and there are periods when it is at 50 or 60 percent. Currently, occupancy is around 60 percent,” Ćatović pointed out.
She believes that women who live in violence often do not have adequate information about how someone can help them and do not know the right way to help themselves.
“Underage girls are housed with us, from about 13 or 14 years old, and the range is up to some mature ages, up to 75-80 years old. Lately we have also had older women. They usually come because of the violence they suffer from their sons, but that is not the rule, because there are also cases where these older women suffered violence from their partners for many years,” Ćatović emphasized.
It starts with emotional violence
She believes that education in general is very important and the messages we receive through growing up not only from our parents but in general.
“When we start from the fairy tales we listen to, the prince on a white horse comes to save her, but also a lot of other information that is served to women – that they should be good mothers, that no one beats good mothers and wives… Violence does not come all at once. First, it starts with emotional violence and isolation is created around the woman. First, all those who can provide support are isolated – friends, relatives… It usually starts with jealousy, which women, or young girls, most often perceive as an expression of love. Jealousy is one of the systems isolation”, said Ćatović.
When isolation occurs, when there is no communication with friends and relatives, women are left alone with the abuser.
“When physical violence happens, after that the abusers have a so-called honeymoon phase where they apologize and say that they don’t know what happened to them and that it won’t happen again. It can happen that a woman returns to the abuser more than once. Come back because she is either economically dependent on him, she has no family support, she is afraid of what to do next. It is very difficult for women with small children to find a job,” explained Ćatović.
However, she stated that cycles of violence and apologies go on for years and go round and round.
“Women who have suffered violence for many years decide to report it when they are too tired and when they no longer care about their lives. Very often I hear the sentence: ‘It was no longer important for me to be killed because this kind of life is not life’. Then they decide to get out of violence. Sometimes women are motivated by children. When the children are small, they decide to get out of all that so that they don’t suffer, so that it doesn’t happen to them. The most common form of violence is emotional violence, because it is in the background of all other forms of violence . It usually starts with that emotional violence. Later, all other forms of violence go to it,” said Ćatović.
Awareness is growing
Young girls are also placed in the Safe House, mainly due to problems in the family or abuse by parents, dysfunctional family, but also abuse by peers, some third parties.
“There are also girls who have survived gross forms of sexual violence, as well as physical or emotional violence. As for women, emotional violence is the most dominant, because it is in the background of all others, but most often there is also physical, economic and sexual violence violence”, explained Ćatović.
She believes that there is progress when it comes to women’s awareness of violence against families.
“Violence against women has always happened, but earlier there was less talk about it, less was reported and more remained in that family circle, and women suffered. They had no other way out. Now there is much more talk about it, but unfortunately, still not enough. There is legal legislation, there are safe houses where women can stay if they don’t have anywhere else. There are also various services that provide assistance to women. There is the Center for Women, which exists under the roof of the Foundation for Local Democracy. There we have lawyers, a social worker and a psychologist. Women can come and ask for help, seek information, they will also receive information about their rights. However, violence is still present to a large extent. This problem will not be adequately solved if it is not adequately solved systemically,” said Ćatović.
She is of the opinion that “this society needs to be educated that women are not objects”.
“With us, you will very often hear that a woman says that she has to ask her husband for something. They always have to ask something. It worried me that somewhere deep down, even in young people, it is instilled that there are men’s and women’s jobs,” said Ćatović.
She believes that the situation when it comes to domestic violence is different in Sarajevo Canton and larger centers where there are organizations that deal with the problem of domestic violence, Anadolu agency reports.
