November 2010

16 WORKSHOPS ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE HELD FOR WOMEN FROM 48 RURAL AREAS

As part of the project "Increasing Awareness on Gender Based Violence and the Role of Women in Multireligious Dialogue" TPO Foundation organised 16 education workshops for women from 48 rural areas. The workshops were held in period from November 26 to December 10, 2010 in the folllowing places:  Bijeljina, Sanski Most, Bosanski Petrovac, Dokanj, Maglaj, Mostar, Goražde, Zenica, Milići, Travnik, Bihać, Vareš, Kakanj, Ilijaš, Modrinje and Vogošća. The workshops were realized by certified trainers who passed the training provide by TPO Foundation in cooperation with Medica Zenica. The workshops were realized in cooperation with the partner NGOs: Fondacija Cure Sarajevo, Vive žene Tuzla, Lara Bijeljina, Perpetuum Mobile Banja Luka, Krajiška suza Sanski Most, Forma F Mostar and Nahla Sarajevo. The project is supported by UNIFEM.
Medica Zenica in cooperation with TPO Foundation organised 3 education workshops in Zenica region i.e. in local communities Babino, Janjići and Lokvine, attended by 46 women. The workshops were moderated by Sabiha Husić and Habiba Kovač. The participants showed huge interest in issue of violence and they were most interested to find out how to report the cases of violence and whom to address for help. In general the issues they indicated are: misunderstanding of men in their communities and lack of their support for women's needs.
Association "Krajiška suza" in cooperation with TPO Foundation organised two workshops in Sanski Most on November 27 and December 4, attended by 25 women. The workshops were moderated by Mevluda Kazić and Jasminka Šarčević-Burnić, Vedran

Francuz and Roberta Nikšić. The participants concluded that these workshops serve as a test i.e. instrument of needs and way of problem resolution in a society beacuse they are related to gender based violence.
U.G. "Vive žene" Tuzla in cooperation with TPO Foundation organised two workshops in local communities Dokanj, Tuzla on December 1 and in Nova Kasaba, municipality Milići on December 4, 2010 attended by 32 participants. The workshop was moderated by Aida Mustačević-Cipurković. The big problem in this area presents illiteracy of women as well as lack of their awareness about this issue. As a consequence, these women do not talk to each other and they lack from mutual support. Nowadays they live in framework of tradition in which they have unfavorable status. Some women make exceptions and because of that they are not isolated, but it took too much time and efforts to have their values acknowledged.
Fondacija CURE in cooperation with TPO Foundation organised two workshops in Bosanski Petrovac on December 6 and in Modrinje near Kakanj on December 12, 2010 attended by 25 women. The workshops were moderated by Rada Sukara, Denija Hidić and Adisa Crnovršanin. The participants stressed great satisfaction with the workshop and their readiness to reply on similar workshops in their community as well as to participate in its organisation. They stressed that the workshop increased their knowledge about issues they did not know where to find the answer. Before that, they did not dare to make questions because they were raised so and because they shame and fear from opinion of surroundings.

FORMA F in cooperation with TPO Foundation organised one workshop in village Gubavica near Mostar on December 1, 2010, attended by 16 women. The workshop was moderated by Tea Rebac and Adisa Crnovršanin. The women participated actively and they freely expressed their opinion. They expressed the hope to meet again and participate in such workshops.
Center for education and research (CEI) Nahla in cooperation with TPO Foundation organised one workshop in Bihać on December 5, 2010, attended by 36 women. The workshop was moderated by Roberta Nikšić and Đermana Šeta. In general it is possible to make conclusion that the participants did not get gender based violence in connection with religion, but rather with patriarchal society in which they live and generally with social situation.

TPO Foundation organisedthree workshops in Vareš on December 3, in Ilijaš on December 9 and in Vogošća in December 10, 2010 attended by 31 women. The workshops were moderated by Naida Pekmezović, Peika Rajić and Adisa Crnovršanin. The participants unanimously concluded that the biggest issues causing violent behaviors are economic situation, poverty and uncertainty. They stressed that families in rural areas are neglected and that nobody visited them to talk about problems facing them. All participants feel disappointed and they don't trust to authorities. They stressed that it is necessary to meet more often and to speak more about violence and prevention, not only once a year.