December 2016

BOGEY FEMITEACHING AT THE FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY IN ZENICA

The open classroom at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zenica was another way during the campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender based Violence to AWAKEN, INITIATE young people in order to MAKE A CHANGE in their own way of thinking inspired by comic animations on the themes of gender stereotypes and gender based violence. On the occasion of international campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender based Violence TPO Foundation organised an open classroom at Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zenica where students discussed ''social, political, cultural and media phenomena from the aspect of modelling social functions, gender roles and existence of various forms of discrimination'' in B&H society. Students from Department of Cultural Studies and Department of BCS Language and Literature participated in this classroom and the classroom was moderated by professor Edisa Gazetić and Melika Šahinović, TPO Foundation project coordinator. Professor Gazetić started her introductory speech focusing on violence against women, particularly the ones with fatal outcomes saying that statistics shows that every second woman in B&H is a victim of violence. In that respect TPO coordinator Melika Šahinović informed students in detail about campaign 16 Days of Activism as well as programme goals that TPO Foundation advocates. By the promotion of Bogey FemiTeaching animations students discussed together the issues of gender and social stereotypes in education, science, legislation, social protection i.e. whole B&H society. A huge interest was initiated by the issues of secularity and freedom of belief and religion because those are some of concrete questions covered women are faced with.
One of animations shows the stereotypes about covered women and it was the occasion that students familiarize themselves how to reconcile demands of secular state and their own religious beliefs.


The classroom was concluded with a consensus of all present students that critical thinking, questioning and argumentation are key aspects for lessening of gender discrimination and prevailing of many social prejudices and that no one should disregard or be blind to any form of violence regardless of whether a victim is a woman, a man or a child.