Bosnia and Herzegovnia (last updated February 22, 2008)

For a General Overview of Bosnia and Herzegovina, visit the BBC online country profile page here. To learn more about Bosnia and Heregovnia, including geography and governmental structures, please visit the CIA Factsheet. To visit the official web site of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovnia, please click here.

Domestic Violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In 2005, laws that aim to address domestic violence were passed by both the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina and the Republic Srpska. These laws criminalize domestic violence and provide specific codes of conduct for arrests and treatment of perpetrators. While awareness raising for domestic violence has been wider spread in larger Bosnian cities, such as Sarajevo, Mostar, and Banja Luka, it is less likely that women in more rural areas have had access to public campaigns informing them of services for victims of domestic violence. There are currently seven shelters for victims of domestic violence located across both the Federation and the Republic with a total of 120 beds. Marital rape, as of 1998, is also prosecutable under the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sexual Assault in Bosnia and Herzegovina

While sexual assaults are treated as a crime, human right’s associations and women’s right’s agencies in Bosnia report that a high sense of shame and lack of awareness about legal and social support often inhibits a victim’s ability to report the crime or seek assistance.  Under the criminal codes of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the maximum punishment for rape is 15 years of prison.  Reporting a sexual assault is often a very difficult process, another impeding factor for victims who wish to seek redress and assistance. When police arrive to the scene of an incident, they are often not trained in how to assess the situation and cultural attitudes are often such that if the victim is in a marriage or romantic partnership According to legal advisors at the women’s NGO, Zena BiH, the investigation involves three cross-examinations and the victim must have medical evidence or a witness to prove the rape occurred.  Furthermore, the victim must prove that they tried to escape and why their attempt was not successful. Given the number of interviews, it is often easy for defense attorneys to trip up and confuse the witness or victim.  “All of these factors mean that most victims really don’t know how to come forward, are afraid of the police reaction, and know that in the end they may not be believed,” claims a youth anti-violence volunteer from CURE Foundation.

Human Trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Human trafficking is criminalized across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Until recently, human trafficking was looked at by government and even most NGOs as a purely international situation where victims were only those who crossed international borders.  More recently, the National Coordinator for Combating of Trafficking in Human Beings and Illegal Immigrations has taken an interest in domestic victims of human trafficking.  There are eight NGOs and the State Ministry of Security who are authorized to provide assistance to victims of trafficking. Beyond that, numerous other NGOs also work in the areas of awareness raising, prevention, and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking.  This assistance includes shelter, legal assistance, medical attention, and counseling.  As of 2007, the protocol for providing victims of trafficking still only included services for foreign women victims.  However, many shelters will provide services to domestic women and girls, whether they were victimized abroad or were trafficked internally.  During the last two years, a few reports written primarily by outside experts have reported on the incidence rate and situation of both male and female youth victimized by human trafficking. 

Youth Organizing in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Youth in Bosnia, as well as much of the Balkan region, have grown up with considerable challenges that are direct results of the war, economic transition, and poverty that have plagued that region during the two decades. According to the United Nations, 23% of the total population of Bosnia is youth aged 14 to 29.  Due to the past war and continuing displacement of thousands of families from Bosnia, the 2004 United Nation’s report on youth in Bosnia reported that up to 120,000 youth left Bosnia.   The Bosnian government addresses youth issues through the Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Civic Affairs, In the Republic Srpksa, youth issues are addressed by the Ministry for Sports and Youth and in the Federation, the Ministry of Youth Centre.  International agencies working to engage, empower, or support youth in Bosnia include the United Nations, CARE International, FAIR Fund, Save the Children, the World Bank, and more.   Agencies working to engage youth in this region have often focused their efforts on teaching tolerance, providing material support to youth without parental care or in orphanages, reducing violence against youth, and encouraging youth civic and political engagement.

FAIR Fund in Bosnia and Herzegovina

FAIR Fund's work began in 2004 in Bosnia. Our programs, always done in partnership with local youth and women's agencies, focus on preventing youth trafficking, providing life and job skill training for youth leaving orphan care, preventing sexual assualt in young women and girls, and civic education training. Currently, FAIR Fund receives international European and U.S. funding to work with youth leaving orphan care. Our office is based in Banja Luka, Bosnia.

FAIR Fund Reports focusing on Bosnia and Herzegovina

Initial Assessment of Preparing Youth Leaving Orphan Care in Bosnia (FAIR Fund, IOFA, and the Columbia School of Public Health, 2006)

Relevant Reports on Youth, Anti-Trafficking, and Gender-based Violence in Bosnia

NGOs working in areas of anti-violence, anti-trafficking, and youth capacity Building