Human security in focus as Gender Equality Week concludes at the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, 13 March 2015 – The role and importance of gender equality in improving human security was in focus at today’s closing conference of Gender Equality Week 2015 held at the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

The conference, entitled “Human Security through the Prism of Gender Equality”, brought together government officials from across BiH, non-governmental organizations, ambassadors and representatives of international organizations.

Director of the BiH Agency for Gender Equality, Samra Filipović-Hadžiabdić, emphasized the need for more gender-sensitive policies when looking at human security. “Women and men have different security needs, interests and priorities and these realities must be taken into account while developing security policies, programmes and measures,” said Filipović-Hadžiabdić.

Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Alexander Chuplygin, commented on the country’s  ratification of the Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women and domestic violence, and the new action plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on ‘Women, Peace and Security’.

“There have been some positive developments in the country. However, greater attention needs to be given to implementation and compliance in order for laws, policies and action plans to reach the desired results,” said Chuplygin. 

The OSCE considers gender equality and women’s rights to be integral parts of comprehensive security. Domestic violence, human trafficking, labour exploitation, inadequate political participation and under-representation in the security sector remain key concerns in BiH.

Gender Equality Week at the BiH Parliamentary Assembly is a joint initiative of the BiH Agency for Gender Equality, the Gender Equality Committee of the BiH House of Representatives and the OSCE Mission to BiH. Numerous non-governmental organizations, embassies and international organizations also held activities this week aimed collectively at strengthening the role of women in all aspects of life in BiH.