Summary
(the full report below as pdf)
In support of the UN-led Global Open Day for 1325 events, the Regional Women's Lobby decided to organize a set of complementary meetings in two of the countries where the Lobby is active: Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. As neither of these countries has a DPKO mission the UN team leading the Global Open Day initiative was not planning on promoting the event in these locations. RWL decided to use this space to organize its own meetings, complementary to the Global Open Day, with the UN RC and other stakeholders to brief them and discuss 1325 implementation issues. Both of these countries has a specific set of contextual factors influencing UNSCR 1325 implementation and this background will be discussed below. It should be mentioned that the RWL also planned to meet with the President of Croatia, however due to scheduling factors beyond their control the meeting was cancelled. As an alternative, the RWL members will meet with the President of Croatia and the UN RC in Croatia at the end of June after the RWL Regional 1325 +10 conference to brief them on the state of 1325 implementation in Croatia and the region.
Context: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a post-conflict country that endured years of bloody conflict in the 1990s in which rape was used a method of warfare and women were victims of shockingly brutal gender based violence. The conflict led to the militarization of these societies and women were pushed out of public spaces and lost many of the social and economic rights they had under the socialist regime. In terms of Protection Laws and Mechanisms, Bosnia has a good legal framework. There is a Law on Gender Equality; a legislated electoral quota; a Law on Domestic Violence; a NAP on Gender Equality; a NAP for Domestic Violence; and a NAP on implementation 1325 is in the process of being adopted by Parliament. Mechanisms for implementation of these laws include a government Agency for Gender Equality, Gender Centers at the "entity" level of Bosnia's structure and a municipal/regional gender focal point network. In terms of political participation of women there is 14% women in parliament and only 2-3 women in executive decision-making positions at any point in time. In the security sector there are 2% women in the military at higher ranks, 5% at lower ranks and 5% at enlisted level. In the police there are 8% women. Civil society is very active in Bosnia on monitoring and advocating for 1325, with the strong support of UNIFEM. For example, the NGO Zene zenama has been active in raising awareness of 1325. They have translated the resolution into the local language and dispersed it and united with national and international security sector organizations in a program entitled "Participation of the public in security: UNSCR 1325 in BiH". Examples of goals of the 1325 program are the creation of a women's police network at the national level and the establishment of cooperation between women's NGOs and EUFOR local observation teams on women's human rights and security. Civil society in Bosnia has also been involved in the NAP drafting process and will take on promotion of the NAP in local communities along with representatives of ministries, entities and cantons.
Context: Serbia
Serbia is a post-conflict society with a high degree of militarization. Serbia experienced the effects of the wars in the region first indirectly, and then directly with the NATO bombing in 1999. As in Bosnia, women in Serbia were also pushed out of public spaces and decision-making during the conflicts of the 1990s as public attitudes reinforced the view that women were not the decisive politicians or strong leaders needed during the wars and conflicts that Serbia was involved in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. Serbia, like Bosnia, also has an extensive legal framework related to gender equality. There is a Law on Gender Equality; a legislated electoral quota; an Anti-discrimination Law; a NAP on Gender Equality; and a NAP on implementation 1325 is currently being drafted by a working group of stakeholders. The gender mechanisms include a Department for Gender Equality within the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and a network of gender focal points at the regional level of government. Women's participation in parliament is about 21% and at the executive level 5 of 27 ministers are currently women. In the military 0.5% of officer are women and 5% of enlisted soldiers are women. The NGO Women in Black has been advocating for a women's perspective of security since the very beginning of the conflicts in the region in the 1990s and has been active in promoting peace and security issues from a feminist perspective and from an anti-nationalist and anti-militaristic perspective. Needless to say their consistent opposition to the regime was not without danger to themselves, especially in the charged atmosphere of the 1990s.
