| Bosnia and Herzegovina NGO Statement by Marijana Senjak
To the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women on the Occasion of Submission of Combined Initial, Second and Third Periodic Report of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Thank you Madame Chair, I am Marijana Senjak from Women Therapy Centre Medica Zenica and I will be speaking on behalf of 19 women’s NGO from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I will speak on protection of rape survivors, domestic trafficking and gender budgeting.
1. PROTECTION OF WAR RAPE SURVIVORS
Regarding Articles 1 and 2 and General Recommendation 24.
For the first time in history, the systematic rape of women during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was declared a war crime and a crime against humanity. But even after ten years after the war the plight of rape survivors did not prompt the state to include in its legal framework the needs of rape survivors. There is no law that recognizes the status of women who survived this war crime. Nobody still knows precisely how many women survived war rape, only the fact that there were thousands of women.
It is also unknown how many children have been born out of these atrocious crimes. With exception of rare cases, they are generally without any financial support; unemployed, and with significantly decreased labor capacities as a consequence of post trauma. They are not enabled to get additional professional training or improve their educational qualification. They are economically dependent. Most survivors of war rape do not have adequate health protection or access to psycho-social support and legal advice. The issue of their housing and by policy forced return to the previous sites of violations during the war is unresolved. Furthermore they do not receive support for their children.
Recommendation
a) The immediate adoption of proposed amendments on Law on Social Protection, Families with Children and Civil Victims of the War, to include war rape survivors in the definition of the civil victims of the war, and related rights and benefits.
b) Pass the law on State level that would unify regulations of rights of war torture survivors, including women war rape survivors and ensure means for implementation of the law.
c) Establish the Committee in the BH Federation Parliament in order to develop and monitor implementation of the national rehabilitation programs including health and social care, education and employment.
d) Harmonization of Laws on social protection and civil victims of the war in BH Federation and Republic of Srpska to unify definition and regulations of rights of war rape survivors in both entities. |
2. COMBATING TRAFFIKING IN PERSONS
In relation Articles 1 and 2, General Recommendation 24.
Because of poverty, the lack of employment opportunities affecting women in particular, the large number of displaced persons, the pronounced level of domestic violence in the post-conflict society and the level of discrimination against women in all spheres of life, Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a country of origin for trafficking. NGOs have been identifying an increasing number of cases of trafficking of Bosnian women including minors.
Recommendation
Adoption of State level law which prevents trafficking and protects the rights of women victims of domestic trafficking.
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3. GENDER BUDGETING
Related to Article 2
Another important manifestation of inequality is that at all levels of Government in Bosnia and Herzegovina (at the state, entities, cantonal and municipal levels), economic planning and budgeting have not been conducted with gender sensitivity. Rarely are financial resources included in government budgets for the implementation of CEDAW obligations, or for the advancement of women’s rights in BH. This lack of commitment to gender sensitive financial planning and budgeting reinforces existing inequalities and is limiting the potential of Bosnian women in achieving substantial gender equality.
Recommendation
Develop gender sensitive planning and budgeting in all levels of government.
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Thank you Madam Chair.
May 16 th, 2006.
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