About us

The United Women Banja Luka is nongovernmental organization founded on August 16 1996 in Banja Luka. Through the activities and projects of our association, we are advocating for improving social position of woman and her right to life without violence in family and public life. We want to see more women at decision-making positions in official institutions at all levels of governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
Our vision is: Woman aware of her power, equal, respected, employed, and happy.
 
Our mission is: Strengthening and affirmation of women through advocacy and work on implementation of women's human rights.
 
Overall Strategic Priorities and Objectives of United Women Banja Luka:
 
- Fighting against violence against women through offering free legal and psychosocial assistance for women and children victims of violence, work on introducing new official policies and institutional mechanisms of fighting violence against women;
 
- Strengthening awareness of women and men citizens about violence against women and gender based violence through media advocacy, and strengthening and increasing cooperation with other NGOs and official institutions working on issues of violence against women in the country and abroad;
 
- Increasing public awareness about trafficking of people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and public advocacy for more efficient work of official institutions in Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina on prevention of trafficking of people;
 
- Empowering women to participate in social changes through their active role in creation of public policies, and political decision making on local, entity, and state level in Bosnia and Herzegovina and fighting for gender equality in public and political life in B&H;
 
- Gender equality in media B&H - public advocacy for diminishing discrimination and abuse of women in electronic and printed media in B&H, and creating conditions for equal access of women and men on creation of media policies,
 
- Increasing gender sensitivity of women and men journalists in B&H, and networking of women's NGO activists, journalists, and female politicians to work together on improving gender equality in media B&H;
 
- Public advocating for strengthening position of women in our society, and diminishing discrimination of women in political, economic, and social sphere through monitoring of the positive legal regulation, and initiating procedures and initiatives for changes of discriminatory laws;
- Support for sustainable return in Bosnia and Herzegovina through work with women and men in rural communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
 
- Strengthening cooperation with other nongovernmental organizations and official institutions in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries in the region (developing joint projects and initiatives, exchange of information and expertise, offering our assistance in developing skills and increasing knowledge about women's human rights and gender equality etc.);
 
- Developing internal capacities of the Association through engaging new staff and volunteers and working on development of organizational sustainability through long-term financial, program and management planning.