Project launch and anti-gender on the rise in BiH

I am happy to have started started my MSCA project on Anti-Gender mobilisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in September. With this blog I want to share my research journey and give insights into my research process but also recent developments in BiH regarding gender and LGBTIQ+ issues. 

During the first months, I have focused on research design, reviewing existing studies, and outlining the analytical framework. Additionally, I had the opportunity to present my project and initial findings at the Slovenian Sociological Conference in Koper on the Slovenian coast. This was a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues and to launch my project.

While carrying out this groundwork, I have also been monitoring recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, noting that the past year has been eventful regarding gender-related debates.

Since late 2023, religious and traditional organisations in Republika Srpska have become more active in anti-gender mobilisations. This began when the government proposed amending the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence to add “femicide” as a legal category. This was a necessary step to increase protection for women and children from domestic violence. However, these organisations responded by publishing an open letter claiming that the term introduces “gender ideology” and threatens “traditional family values”. They urged all political representatives not to support the draft law, and unfortunately, since then the amended draft has not progressed. The government heeded the organisations.

What is more, in March 2024, the RS governing coalition proposed removing “gender identity” from several articles of the Criminal Code. Last month, the National Assembly debated the draft for the first time. All of this creates a rapidly changing landscape and underscores the importance of a careful, well-grounded research design at this stage.

With that part almost finished, the next step will be to map the policy context in more detail and begin consulting experts working on equality and anti-discrimination issues in BiH.