University of Sarajevo (UNSA) in the period from November 25, until December 10, 2022 marks the “16 Days of Activism for Gender Equality” campaign of the UNIGEM project. Organized by the TPO Foundation and the Council for Gender Equality of the UNSA, numerous workshops and lectures, an exhibition, a round table, and book promotion were held, dedicated to the culture of gender equality and active engagement in the fight against violence. Male and female students were given the opportunity to further educate themselves and actively participate in all activities, as well as create their own accompanying campaigns.
On December 1, the Faculty of Philosophy of UNSA organized an exhibition of student works with the aim of encouraging the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls, which will be displayed in the hall of the Faculty until December 10. An accompanying workshop was also organized, a conversation with students who participated in the realization of the exhibition. The exhibition and workshop were organized and realized by: Ph.D. Ajla Demiragić, Ph.D. Amila Kasumović, Ph.D. Edina Spahić Šagolj, Ph.D. Đenita Tuce, assistant professor Ph.D. Amina Isanović Hadžiomerović and Ph.D. Nejla Kalajdžisalihović. In parallel, male and female students of the History Department of the Faculty of Philosophy of the UNSA, under the mentorship of Ph.D. Amila Kasumović created a video that thematises the problem of violence against women through different historical periods.
On December 1, a round table on “Women, men and patriarchy” was held at the Faculty of Political Sciences of UNSA. A theoretical overview of the topic and the perspective of their own experiences, was given by the participants of the round table Ph.D. Asim Mujkić, Ph.D. Belma Buljubasic, assistant professor Ph.D. Hazim Begagić and Ph.D. Medina Mujić. The event was moderated by Ph.D. Valida Repovac Nikšić.
At the Faculty of Economics of UNSA on December 6, and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of UNSA on December 8, workshops “Understanding masculinity: how to develop gender responsibility” were successfully held, moderated by a well-known B&H journalist, editor and author of the book “Criticism of Toxic Masculinity” Nikola Vučić, who realized the workshop based on his scientific research on this issue.
The workshop “At the court and in the kinship of a bully: literary representations of violence against women” was held at the Faculty of Criminology and Security Studies of UNSA, on December 7. The lecturer was Ph.D. Ajla Demiragić from the Faculty of Philosophy of UNSA, and the event was moderated by Ph.D. Marija Lučić-Ćatić.
The promotion of the book “Violence against pregnant women in Bosnia and Herzegovina – family, health system and work relations” and the same-titled workshop took place on December 8, at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies “Ph.D. Zdravko Grebo” of UNSA. In addition to the author, Ph.D. Zlatan Hrnčić, Jasna Kovačević, president of UNSA’s Gender Equality Council, also spoke at the promotion. The book was written out of the need to hear the voices of B&H women and the problems they face in the family, within the health system, and in working relationships in the period 12 months before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and 12 months after pregnancy, and in connection with violent behaviour that can be classified under physical, psychological, sexual and economic violence. It is intended for experts, and scientists, but also for the wider interested public, and includes the theoretical framework of violence, marriage, family, and pregnancy, as well as an overview of research on violence, and a summary of research on violence against pregnant women and the childbirth culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
