This year, on the occasion of the international campaign „16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence“, TPO Foundation organizes traditionally a serie of activites with purpose of awareness raising against gender based violence. The campaign motto of this year is „What Are You Waiting For?“, i.e. why do not we cease silence and waiting when it comes to violence. A kaleidoscope of workshops, promotions and expositions will be held in cooperation with faculties in Sarajevo, Zenica and Tuzla, and in primary and secondary schools in already mentioned cities and in Živinice, Srebrenik, Podlugovi, Maglaj i Novi Šeher. On the workshops children and young people will have an opportunity to learn what violence is and what it implies, as well as about its forms of manifestation and what we can do, i.e. how to have a zero tolerance for gender based violence and violence in general. Activist panels will be set up in the partner schools where students can write their opinion or ways how to contirbute to lessening of gender based violence.
Promotion of the book „Gender Stereotypes:Sounds Familiar?“ edited by Monja Šuta-Hibert will be organized at the abovementioned faculties. A collection of essays on deeply rooted gender stereotypes, prejudice on feminism and position of women in bh. society can be found in this very book. Reviewers were Ms. Radmila Rangelov Jusović and Prof. Damir Kukić. Besides essays, the comics from the edition ''Bogey FemiTeaching“ can be found in the book, and the comics are the result of TPO Foundation cooperation with the group ''Brkate'' and author of drawings, Jakov Čaušević. The comics portray everyday situations where gender stereotypes are present in a witty manner. The performance ''Cut'' in cooperation with actresses of the Academy of Performing Arts will be also a part of this year campaign and it will present the emotional state of violence victim through the body language and to bespeak clearly violence has to end.
On occasion of the International Day of Human Rights the promotion of the second edition of the comic ''Nira'' and collection of stories ''Nira's Challenges''will be held in the Jewish Community Centre, as well as the award ceremony for the best comics that emerged from TPO Foundation's contest ''Comic Up the Violence!''.
We hope we will make a shift in awareness and thinking of our fellow citizens with our activites in order to build together the society in which gender based violence will be treated as a relevant social problem.