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ProgramsA. Advocacy against violence against women and gender based violence in B&H The main objectives of the program are directed on ensuring efficient support and service for women and children victims of violence, improving cooperation and coordination of nongovernmental organizations and official institutions in fighting against violence against women, public advocacy and strengthening public awareness about the issue of domestic violence and gender based violence, as well as making influence on adoption and change of discriminative laws and public policies in this field. Within this program area, we are implementing following current projects: Project: Woman and Law Overall aim of the project is improving position of women in our society - family and public life through eliminating all forms of violence against women, and reaching equality of women and men. United Women BL are implementing this project since March 1997 in cooperation with Helsinki Citizens Assembly Banja Luka, with financial support of Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation from Sweden. During 2006, we are implementing following project activities: . Free legal assistance, free representation in front of the courts and other official institutions, free assistance of psychologist and social workers, SOS lines and support of volunteers for women, girls, and children victims of violence. In the period from March 1, 1997 until April 30, 2006, team members of "Woman and Law" project provided free legal and psychosocial assistance for 4760 women, while volunteers of SOS telephone received 6596 SOS calls for assistance for victims of violence. . Discussion groups for women and girls victims of domestic violence - psychologist and social worker of "Woman and Law" project are leading small group sessions for women and girls victims of violence aimed for providing group support, encouragement, and strengthening self-confidence of women survivors of violence. . Participation in media activities aimed for strengthening public awareness about domestic violence and gender based violence - TV and radio programs, press conferences, etc. . Monitoring progress in implementation of laws and public policies, and planning and organizing ad-hoc public advocacy actions. . Organizing two one-day workshops about domestic violence for women and men health workers in Banja Luka region. . Organizing regular working meetings with representatives of official institutions that are working on the issue of domestic violence. . Organizing one-day workshop directed toward improving cooperation and coordination of nongovernmental organizations and local official institutions (police, prosecutors, courts, centers for social work, etc.) on implementation of the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, and providing efficient assistance to victims of violence. You can learn more details about the activities of "Woman and Law" project during previous years from annual reports of United Women Banja Luka, which can be downloaded under link "publications." Safe House for Women and Children Victims of Violence from Banja Luka Region For a past nine years, United Women Banja Luka is working on the initiative of opening shelter for women and children victims of family violence from the Banja Luka region. Opening of a shelter would enable temporary accommodation of women and children victims of violence in the moments of acute violence, and overcome lack of institutional protection for this target group. Our strong opinion is that domestic violence represent social issue, not private problem of a victim. Therefore, official institutions must take over the responsibility for ensuring full support for victims. Thanks to our long term lobbying for this initiative, United Women Banja Luka succeeded to get financial support from RS Government and Open Society Fund in B&H to buy an object/house for the purpose of shelter. In November 2003, we bought the house in Banja Luka suburb region, and during 2004 successfully lobbied the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that supported us with material and construction services. They reconstructed and adapted the house, through the Council for Refugees in Mostar as the local implementing partner. As result of our increased media presence and public advocacy activities on local and national level, United Women Banja Luka received grant support for final works on the reconstruction of shelter for women and children victims of family violence in Banja Luka. The grant of 63.342,00 BAM was allocated to us through GAP (Governance Accountability Program) implemented by City Administration Banja Luka, and sponsored by USAID and SIDA. Furthermore, City Administration Banja Luka decided to award a grant of 50000 BAM to United Women Banja Luka for buying necessary furniture and appliances for the shelter for women and children victims of family violence in Banja Luka. On October 10, 2005, United Women Banja Luka signed Memo of understanding and cooperation with women and men representatives of City Administration Banja Luka, Center for Social Work Banja Luka, Medical Center Banja Luka, Ministry of Justice of Republika Srpska, and Office of Public Prosecutor of RS related to coordination of activities on opening of the safe house for women and children victims of violence in Banja Luka. Currently, United Women Banja Luka is lobbying for ensuring long-term financial support for the safe house from City Administration. It has been planned for safe house to start its work in beginning of 2007. Participation in the Initiative - Establishing Sort SOS Telephone Number for Women and Children Victims of Violence in Republika Srpska In August 2005, United Women Banja Luka joined the initiative for establishing short SOS number - 1264 for victims of violence in RS. This initiative has been supported by Gender Center of RS, and involves four local women's NGOs that are providing services for victims of violence - Buducnost Modrica, Lara Bijeljina, Women's Center Trebinje, and United Women Banja Luka. We signed Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation with partner organizations and Gender Center of RS in relation to this activity. Contribution to the Global Campaign "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence" The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991. Participants chose the dates, November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including December 1, which is World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. Since 1991, approximately 1,700 organizations in 130 countries have participated in the 16 Days Campaign. Since early beginning of our work, United Women Banja Luka is participating in global campaign in cooperation with our partner organizations throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and the whole region through organizing various activities directed toward increasing public awareness about violence against women.
Objectives of the program are directed toward following objectives: diminishing gender stereotypes in media, making influence on positive changes of media policies and programs to increase visibility of women and women's issues in media, gender sensitive education of media workers, as well as creating possibilities for eliminating gender based discrimination in all fields of social economic, and political life through enabling women and men citizens of Banja Luka and Bosnia and Herzegovina to learn about the Gender Equality Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina, create informed public opinion about gender based discrimination, and actively participate in fighting for improving women's position in our environment. Within this program area, we are currently implementing three-year project "Gender Equality in B&H - Informed Public Opinion and Gender Sensitive Media." We are implementing this project in period from January 2005 until December 2007, in partnership with nongovernmental organization Amica e. V. from Freiburgh, Germany, with financial assistance of EED Germany. Activities of the project are following: 11 television programs aimed for presenting specific segments of gender equality regulated by the Gender Equality Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and open discussion with women and men representatives of nongovernmental organizations and official institutions in B&H about implementation of the Law in the practice, education about gender equality for women and men journalists, editors and other media workers, as well as education about gender equality and media in Bosnia and Herzegovina for women politicians and women NGO activists, organizing periodical working meetings of women journalists, politicians, and NGO activists aimed for planning and organizing joint activities aimed for increasing gender sensibility of media in B&H, conducing monitoring of media in B&H, action researches, and analysis in media of B&H aimed for increasing access and influence of women on creation of media policies in B&H, organizing public discussions and local public advocacy actions directed toward increasing gender sensibility of media. Participation of United Women Banja Luka in Global Media Monitoring Project GMMP 2005 In 2005, United Women Banja Luka and Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Banja Luka acted as national coordinators of media monitoring for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Global Media Monitoring Project 2005 was initiated and globally coordinated by WACC (World Association of Christian Communications) with aim to promote the fair and balanced representation of both sexes in news media worldwide. It consisted of media monitoring and advocacy - on February 16, 2005 hundreds of participants in over 100 countries worldwide monitored the participation and portrayal of women and men in the news media on television, radio and in newspapers, with using specially developed monitoring tools - coding (quantitative) analysis and qualitative analysis. The results of the monitoring are published in global report and used in participating countries by NGO activists as a tool for advocacy and increasing dialogue with media to develop and implement guidelines and policies oriented towards more gender sensitive news media. United Women Banja Luka also prepared National GMMP 2005 Report for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will be used as model for our planned media activities in 2006. United Women Banja Luka will use positive experiences of participating in Global Media Monitoring Action to develop planned field research about position of women in media in B&H, and to continue with media monitoring activities, together with women and men journalists, editors, NGO activists, and female politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The main objectives of the program are directed toward 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 levels of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and public advocacy for gender equality in public and political life of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are currently implementing following projects within this program area: Project Woman Today United Women BL are implementing this project since March 1997 in cooperation with Helsinki Citizens Assembly Banja Luka, with financial support of Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation from Sweden. General aim of the project is decreasing all forms of discrimination against women and creating environment where women and men have equal possibilities. Following activities will be implemented during 2006:
From the Law to (Real) Gender Equality (Phase II) Project is implemented thanks to the financial support of the European Union in the time period from December 2005 until December 2006 in eleven local communities of Republika Srpska, B&H. Activities of the project are following: organizing workshops about gender equality for women and men members of local branches of parliamentary political parties, and organizing public discussions and radio programs about implementation of the Gender Equality Law in B&H in the practice. General aim of the project is encouraging practical implementation of the Gender Equality Law of B&H, especially provisions related to reaching equality of women and men in public and political life of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Specific project objectives are following: a). Increasing gender sensibility and encouraging active involvement of both women and men members of local branches of parliamentary political parties in fighting for gender equality and diminishing discrimination of women in public and political life, b). Creating positive environment within parliamentary political parties for equal participation of women members in their main activities, policy development and key decision making on the level of local communities, c). Providing support for local women's NGOs in strengthening their cooperation with women politicians and official institutions on local level on implementing public advocacy activities about specific issues related to the gender based discrimination in public and political life, d). Increasing public awareness among local population, members of political parties, representatives of official institutions and media in targeted local communities about Gender Equality Law in B&H, and create public pressure on political parties to foster implementation of the Law in the practice.
The main objectives of the program area are development and implementation of activities aimed for increasing public awareness about the issue of trafficking of people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially women and children, as the most vulnerable categories exposed to influence of criminal networks of human traffickers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. During 2005, United Women Banja Luka and partner organization "Lara" from Bijeljina implemented the project "Protect Yourself - Action Against Trafficking of Children of B&H," with financial support of the European Union. The project aimed to contribute to creating conditions for successful protection of children in B&H against trafficking within the country and abroad through implementation of the following activities: organization of the trainings for school pedagogues about trafficking of people in B&H (two workshops were held - February 26-27, 2005 in Banja Luka, and March 12-13, 2006 in Zvornik), projections of the movie "Lilya4ever" (from Swedish director Lukas Moodyson) and follow up workshop discussions about trafficking of people in 48 secondary schools in Republika Srpska, preparing, publishing, and distributing an informational booklet "I Have the Right to Say NO!," and TV Program/Discussion about trafficking of children ands youth people in B&H, broadcasted at Alternative Television Banja Luka on December 12, 2005. In the period from May 1, 2005 until July 31, 2005, United Women Banja Luka implemented the project "Prevention of Trafficking of Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina," with financial support of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aim of the project was contribution to the prevention of human trafficking in B&H through legislative and establishing cooperation between different sectors involved in combating trafficking of people in B&H. As the project activities, we organized two round tables about trafficking of people in B&H in Modrica (June 3, 2005) and Banja Luka (July 9, 2005) with participation of the official institutions that are working on combating trafficking in B&H (police, SIPA, state border services, etc.) representatives of the international organizations, local media, and local NGOs in B&H, and TV program/discussion broadcasted at ATV Banja Luka, with participation of Marijana Senjak, from Women's Therapy Center "Medica" from Zenica, Gordana Vidović from "Budućnost" Modriča, and Dženana Karup-Druško, from Magazine "Dani" Sarajevo. In the period from August 2005 to December 2005, United Women Banja Luka implemented the project "Think Before You Act," supported by STAR Netwotk of World Learning/Batcom Project. The main objective of the project was to develop comic book that would present different situation of human trafficking in B&H that would enable youngsters in B&H to lean about this issue through sample situation possible in real life. The comic book has been distributed to high school students in Doboj, Gradiska, Derventa, Sipovo, Knezevo, Bosanska Dubica, Prijedor, Mrkonjic Grad, Bosanski Novi, Ljubinje, Bosanski Brod, Bosanska Kostajnica, Bosanski Samac, Brcko Distrikt, Banja Luka, and Skender Vakuf. Furthermore, the comic book was shared with our partner organizations from RING NGO Anti-trafficking Network in B&H in Banja Luka, Bihac, Bijeljina, Bratunac, Derventa, Kljuc, Livno, Modrica, Mostar, Sarajevo, Trebinje, Tuzla, and Zenica.
The main objective of this program area is providing support for women in rural areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and developing their skills aimed for their active participation in solving local issues identified as their priorities. In the period from July 10, 2004 until October 20, 2004, United Women Banja Luka organized conflict resolution workshops with women in rural communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as support for sustainable return, establishing communication and rebuilding of civil society in local communities. In this activity, we had great support and financial contribution from our partner organization Amica e. V. from Freiburgh (Germany) and Berghof Center for Conflict Prevention from Germany. The project activities were implemented in rural communities of Western Bosnia and Herzegovina, as follows: Liplje, Kozarac, Petrov Gaj, Verici, Vecici, Bojici, Debeljaci, Vrbanja and Cesma. Project activities were directed toward work on de-categorization and overcoming prejudices between women returnees, women refugees and displaced persons, and women belonging to domicile population. United Women Banja Luka was working with these groups of women through interactive workshops that provide them space and opportunity to learn and experience how to de-emphasize the significance of divisions and "imagined differences" between one's own national group, as well as to feel importance of respecting diversity and cultural differences as the part of civil society development and sustainable democracy building. Workshops were also creating open space for women to redirect or turn the negative pictures of people into positive concepts and ideas, transform minority - majority conflict into leading idea of common needs of returnees, refugees and displaced persons, and domicile population. |
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