The TPO Foundation and the University Gender Resource Center held a two-day education in the period from 25 – 26. June 2024. in Hotel Nomad Bjelašnica, in Sarajevo called “Critical thinking and gender”. A total of 30 participants asked about gender issues and ideas on how to incorporate them into the teaching process.

The sixth and final panel discussion of the series “Women Workers in Culture” on June 24, 2024, was dedicated to the question of women’s contributions to the creation and preservation of exceptionally valuable documentary-dramatic radio programs and a rich audio archive. We discussed radio as a medium of specific artistic creation and the artists, editors, and journalists who have diligently worked and created outstanding audio content for over seventy years, now stored in a rich audio archive.

On June 24, 2024, the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Sarajevo hosted an intriguing lecture by Professor Adis Đuderija. The lecture, titled “Gender and Religion: Agency of Muslim Women in Secular Contexts,” focused on the complex experiences of Muslim women living in secular societies. Professor Đuderija, a distinguished expert in Islamic studies, presented insights from his book “Essays on Critical and Progressive Islam”. The book offers an accessible overview of progressive Islam as a normative Islamic tradition and emphasizes its potential as a positive force, especially in contexts with a Muslim majority.

On June 11, 2024, an all-day event was held at Elementary School „6, Mar“t Hadžići for students, teaching and professional staff and children from the Temporary Reception Center Ušivak.

The sixth forum is dedicated to the issue of women’s contributions in the creation and preservation of extremely valuable documentary-dramatic radio programs and a rich audio archive. We will discuss radio as a medium of specific artistic creation, focusing on the artists, editors, and journalists who have diligently worked and created exceptional audio content for over seventy years, now preserved in a rich audio archive. As part of this month’s forum, we will present two notable women who will talk about various aspects of work and activities in radio.

On Thursday, June 13, 2024, as part of the UNIGEM project, an education for teaching and non-teaching staff was held on ’Inclusion of a gender perspective in the teaching of STEM subjects’ at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences of the University of Zenica.

Ani Radošević Rajs marked the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, and gained acclaim across Europe with her artistic work. In collaboration with the Museum of Literature and Performing Arts and the La Benevolencija Association, the TPO Foundation published a book about Ani Radošević, the poet of movement, authored by Saida Mustajbegović, and organized a promotion on June 13, 2024, in Sarajevo.

As part of the UNIGEM project, the TPO Foundation aims to advocate for the initiative to eliminate taxes on menstrual products by monitoring and financing resilience and influencing the creation of gender-responsive budgets in educational institutions. We invite you to participate in the research on menstrual poverty in BiH by completing a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire will take approximately 10 minutes of your time. There are no right or wrong answers, so we ask you to provide responses that best reflect your opinion on the topic.

Students from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region discussion how gender stereotypes are attempted to be naturalized through science, culture, and religion at the seminar held on June 7, 2024, in Sarajevo. The seminar was organized as part of the activities of the UNIGEM project and was led by Dr. Jadranka Rebeka Anić and Associate Professor Dr. Zilka Spahić Šiljak.

Gender stereotypes affects lives of women and men to a large extent, and there is need to deconstruct them. TPO Foundation organized workshops on gender stereotypes at the University Gender Resource Center of the University of Sarajevo, for teaching staff and students from high schools in Sarajevo from June 5th to June 6th, 2024.

Last Thursday and Friday, on the 30th and 31st of May, the TPO Foundation organized a two-day training and workshop session for UNIGEM coordinators from partner universities. This event, aimed at addressing critical issues within the academic environment, included a series of panels and discussions that provided significant insights and fostered collaboration among the participants.

At the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Tuzla, on June 3, 2024, Dr. Jadranka Rebeka Anić held a seminar on the anti-gender movement and its impacts on the Balkan countries. The seminar was organized within the UNIGEM project with the aim of empowering teaching staff and the student population.

As part of the UNIGEM project at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Tuzla, on June 3, 2024, a book promotion was held for “Feminism and Religion in the 21st Century: Technology, Dialogue, and Expanding Boundaries,” edited by Gina Messina Dysert and Rosemary Radford Reuther. The promoters were Prof. Dr. Mirza Mahmutović, Prof. Dr. Selma Veseljevic Jerković, and Prof. Dr. Zilka Spahić Šiljak, moderated by Prof. Dr. Nihad Džanić Delibegović.

Collaboration with representatives of municipal gender equality commissions, non-governmental organizations, and other institutions is another way in which UNIGEM project aim to empower important actors in the local community for gender equality. In the period from June 1-2, 2024, a two-day seminar was held in cooperation with the Heart and Soul Association from Lukavac, led by Dr. Jadranka Rebeka Anić and Prof. Dr. Zilka Spahić Šiljak.

On Monday, June 3, 2024, a working meeting was held with the representatives of six non-governmental organizations: LARA Foundation from Bijeljina, Dignitet Association from Mostar, Ja bih EU Association, CURE Foundation, Medica from Zenica and Sarajevo Open Center, who presented previous work of their organizations on issues related to criminal laws at the cantonal level and the FBiH and Brčko District levels. The meeting was also attended by legal experts.

TPO Sarajevo Foundation invites marketing and event organization agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina to submit offers for the services of organizing several events in the period of June and July 2024, as well as their media promotion.

On May 28, 2024, the conference ‘Our Bodies Are Not a Taboo. Period.’ was held in Pristina, Kosovo, bringing together key stakeholders from the region. The conference attracted a diverse group of participants, including representatives from institutions, national and municipal authorities, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. The focus of the conference was on discussing various aspects of menstrual justice and menstrual hygiene, particularly in relation to education, justice, and the economy.

On May 28th, a new panel discussion in the “Female Workers in Culture” series was held at Manifesto Gallery under the title “Artist or Professor: How to Keep Academia from Taking our Soul?”. The main speaker was Amra Bakšić Čamo, and the discussion was moderated by Professor Adisa Bašić from the University of Sarajevo.

The Police Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Zenica-Doboj Canton and the TPO Foundation from Sarajevo, as part of the UNIGEM project, on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, held one-day training in the premises of the Center for Training and Accommodation of the Special Police Unit in Zenica.

On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in cooperation with the TPO Foundation, the Women Police Officers Network and the Center for Human Rights of the University of Sarajevo, an education in the field of human rights was held. Its title was ‘Development of public policy proposals in the field of human rights and effective communication with policy decisions’ makers’.

In an era marked by digital connectivity, the pursuit of meaningful dialogue and intellectual exchange transcends geographical boundaries. On May 20, 2024, participants of the fourth Socrates Café gathered online to explore the question: “What kind of guidance can foster healthier relationships and celebration of diversity?”

We invite you to a series of online Socratic Cafés where you will have a unique opportunity to engage in philosophical dialogue with Christopher Phillips, the renowned founder of Socratic Cafés. The fourth session aims to explore an important question: “What kind of guidance can foster healthier relationships and celebrate diversity?”

The fourth installment of the panel discussion series titled “Female workers in Culture” explored the question: “Is music a male dominated field?” Held at Galerija Manifesto on May 14, 2024, the event aimed to investigate the extent to which patriarchal norms shape the contemporary music scene in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

TPO Fondacija Sarajevo invites individual persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina to submit offers for video editing services of key moments of project activities (workshops and trainings).

The main goal is to strengthen capacities of state and private universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia and state education institutions to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment (SH).

In the context of the fourth panel, we will attempt to answer the question of whether music is a male-dominated field and to what extent patriarchal norms and perceptions shape the contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian music scene. During this month’s panel, we will meet three exceptional women who will speak, through personal experience, about how they managed to overcome various gender-based obstacles and fully dedicate themselves to musical creativity, as well as how we can ensure greater representation of female composers, conductors, and instrumentalists at music events and in professional positions at academies and other music educational and research institutions.

On the 9th of May 2024, a compelling online panel convened to delve into the intricate intersections of “Antifascism, Gender, and Higher Education,” commemorating the International Day against Fascism and Europe Day. Hosted by esteemed personalities and experts in the field, the event provided a platform for critical discourse on pressing socio-political issues.

On the occasion of Europe Day, May 9th, 2024, join us for an inspiring online event: “Antifascism, Gender, and Higher Education.” In an effort to explore the key connections between antifascism, gender, and higher education, we invite you to our live online event.

The main goal is to strengthen capacities of state and private universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia and state education institutions to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment (SH).

In the month of March 2024, a student of the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo, Lejla Mešanović from Ilijaš, held a series of activities within the project Introducing gender-conscious policies in higher education – UNIGEM.

In the period from 23-26. April 2024, four workshops were held in the Hadžići Municipality. The aim of the workshops is to raise awareness about the topics of discrimination against the other and the different through creative and artistic activities.

In the period from 16-19, April 2024, four workshops were held in the area of the Municipality of Hadžići. The aim of the workshops is to strengthen the intercultural competences of eighth-grade students by the teaching and professional staff who initially participated in the ToT trainings.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, in all fields of action and in our everyday lives, we have been witnessing and resisting cascading crises for decades, whose dynamics are caused by both extreme and slow violence[1], including wartime and post-war, “post-Dayton” violence. However, its population, its people, are clear that war is not the only disaster that has befallen us, but it is the ethno-capitalist rule where life is governed through constant production of acute insecurity[2], through identity politics of fear behind which are human and social traumas, expropriations, and impoverishments.

On April 2, 2024, an iftar was held at the Primary School 6. Mart, for the users of the Ušivak Reception Center and primary school students from the Hadžići Municipality. The goal of the event was to socialize and introduce the local population to people on the move.

In the period from 25-29. March 2024, four replication trainings were held in the area of the Municipality of Hadžići. Replication trainings aim to strengthen the intercultural competences of teaching and professional staff by colleagues who originally participated in ToT trainings.

On Thursday, March 28, 2024, as part of the UNIGEM project, in cooperation with the TPO Foundation, the University Gender Resource Center (UNIGeRC) and the Faculty of Agriculture and Food (PPF) in Sarajevo, a workshop was held for students and teaching staff, titled ‘Gender equality in the sector of agriculture and rural development – practice and public attitudes’.

On March 28, 2024, a significant panel discussion took place at the Faculty of Criminology, Criminalistics, and Security of the University of Sarajevo. The event focused on the theme of the role and position of women in the security system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was moderated by Professor Nerma Kibrić Halilović from the Faculty of Criminology and Security, and the panel brought together esteemed professionals who actively contribute to the country’s security landscape.

On March 26, 2024, the results of the research titled “How much does it cost and how much does it hurt: Social decoding of menstruation at universities in BIH” were presented to the public and university representatives as part of the MENGA project. This publication represents the outcome of a five-month study conducted at eight public universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, involving female students and faculty members. The MENGA research marks the first of its kind conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On Friday, March 22, 2024, the TPO Foundation from Sarajevo, the Center for Human Rights and the University Gender Resource Center of the University of Sarajevo organized a panel on the topic of introducing femicide into the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Criminal Code of FBiH.

On Monday, March 25th, the third workshop in the series titled “Are You Afraid of Witches?” was held, initiating a discussion on modern witchcraft. Led by Nidžara Ahmetašević, a journalist and researcher from Sarajevo, the workshop explored the concepts of modern witches and their connection to the heritage of witch persecution and political activism.

On Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Sarajevo, a panel titled “Networking of Women in STEM: Challenges and Opportunities” was held. The panel participants were Pamela Njemčević and Amila Akagić from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Sarajevo, Azra Gazibegović Busuladžić from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Sarajevo, Lejla Smajlović from the Faculty of Economics, University of Sarajevo, and Belma Memić from the Faculty of Traffic and Communications. The panel discussion was moderated by Professor Jasna Kovačević from the Faculty of Economics, University of Sarajevo.

On Monday, March 18th, the second workshop in the series titled “Are You Afraid of Witches?” was held. The workshop was led by Nidžara Ahmetašević, a journalist and researcher from Sarajevo

On March 18, 2024, a publication was released presenting the results of research titled “How Much Does It Cost and How Much Does It Hurt: Social Decoding of Menstruation at Universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” as part of the MENGA project. This publication represents the outcome of a five-month study conducted at eight public universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, involving female students and teachers. The MENGA research is the first of its kind conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As part of the MENGA project, the TPO Foundation published a publication entitled “How much does it cost and how much does it hurt?” Social decoding of menstruation at universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. The authors of the publication have worked hard on research in the past period, and on 58 pages you can find interesting information about menstrual poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Last week, as part of the UNIGEM project, lectures were held for students and teaching staff at two UNIGEM partner universities – the International University of Travnik in Travnik (IUT) and the University of Zenica (UNZE). The lectures were related to the topic of criminal and criminal law aspects of femicide and to the topic of police work in the community (its legal aspects). The lecturer was an expert in practice Nermin Šehović, who is the Doctor of the Science of Law.

On Saturday, March 9th, 2024, the third forum from the series “Pioneers in Culture” titled “Frame for the Picture” was held as part of the UNIGEM project. The guest was the renowned photographer Imrana Kapetanović, who has gained recognition for her projects with vulnerable groups, including women, people with disabilities, migrants, and others. The conversation was moderated by professor Adisa Bašić, PhD, who emphasized in the introduction that Imrana is an artist who manages to immortalize moments through her camera lens and discreetly capture images with a great deal of empathy. Additionally, as professor Bašić pointed out, Imrana is very modest despite having numerous solo and collective exhibitions to her name, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region, and worldwide.

Alice Walker (1944), an African-American writer and activist, reminds us of the power we have within ourselves to make changes with words: “The most common way people lose their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, an inspiring workshop titled “Are You Afraid of Witches?” was held, marking the beginning of a series aimed at exploring the historical and societal portrayal of witches. Led by Nidžara Ahmetašević, a prominent journalist and researcher from Sarajevo, the workshop delved into the complex development of the witch myth and its implications for women throughout history.

On Monday, March 4, 2024, the second Socrates Café with founder Christopher Phillips was held on the topic, “What role must each of us play to reduce and eliminate gender inequality and violence against women and minorities?” The founder of the Socrates Café concept, Professor Dr. Christopher Phillips, moderated this conversation.

At the regular session of the Gender Equality Commission of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the work of the University Gender Resource Center (UNIGeRC) was presented. The center was established in early 2022 as part of the UNIGEM (Universities and Gender Mainstreaming) project led by the TPO Foundation with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom.

In cooperation between the TPO Foundation and the Women Police Officers Network, and as part of the UNIGEM project, on Thursday, March 7, 2024, an education was held for policewomen from the Border Police, the Judicial Police, SIPA, the Directorate for the Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH and the Ministry of Interior of Zenica-Doboj Canton. Aida Bahtanović, a psychologist, psychotherapist and consultant for the application of gestalt, was the teacher on this occasion.

On Wednesday, 28th February 2024, in cooperation of the TPO Foundation with the Women Police Officers Network, within the UNIGEM project, an educational activity was held, attended by women police officers from the Border Police, the Judicial Police, SIPA, the Directorate for the Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH and the Ministry of Interior of Zenica-Doboj Canton.

On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, the second panel from the series “Female workers in Culture” was held, titled “The Art of the Impossible: Women’s Entrepreneurship in Culture.” The second panel was dedicated to the topic of the position of female entrepreneurs in culture and the challenges they face.

On Monday, February 19, 2024, the Winter School “Gender and Violence” was officially opened at the University of Novi Sad, which gathered more than 40 students from the region (Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia). The goal of the School was to shed light, through interactive lectures, on the connections between gender and different forms of violence to which women, as well as other socially sensitive groups, are exposed, and to take into account the broader social context.

We are pleased to invite you to a series of online Socratic Cafés where you will have a unique opportunity to engage in philosophical dialogue with Christopher Phillips, the renowned founder of Socratic Cafés. The second session aims to explore the important question: “What role can and must each of us play in significantly reducing and ultimately eliminating gender inequality and violence against women and minorities?”

TPO Fondacija Sarajevo invites natural persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina to submit offers for transcription services of audio recordings with four focus groups, i.e. transcription of 60 minutes per group (240 minutes in total). The groups were made up of elementary school students, and they discussed prejudices and stereotypes towards minority groups.

Do we have the courage to question our own beliefs, worldviews, and practices? Do we have the strength to stand up against the structural violence perpetrated by patriarchal institutions, both secular and religious? Are we willing to listen to a different perspective and allow different opinions to be respected—even if we don’t agree with them? Are we ready to respect human freedom and the right of individuals to believe or not believe, to question, doubt, and seek answers? Can one be a feminist and a believer?

FEMALE WORKERS IN CULTURE is a series of panel discussions conceived and moderated by professors from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Sarajevo, Ajla Demiragić and Adisa Bašić. These panels are realized within the framework of the UNIGEM project, implemented by the University Gender Resource Center (UNIGeRC) and the TPO Foundation.

In the period from 12-13. in February 2024, the second and final TOT training module was held to strengthen the intercultural competences of teaching and professional staff from four schools in the Hadžići Municipality. The training was led by experts in the field of interculturalism and social cohesion: prof. Jasna Kovačević, PhD, Lejla Đelilović, BA and Mirza Kovačević, BA.

On Monday, February 5th, 2024, the first Socrates Café with founder Christopher Phillips was held on the topic "How do we recognize cases and acts of gender inequality and violence against women and minorities?" The first in a series of online Socrates Cafés explored the multi-layered nature of gender-based violence issues, with Christopher Phillips leading us through this complex terrain.

The session titled ‘Who is looking after your children? Maternity and the (im)possibility of artistic engagement’ was held on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, as part of the UNIGEM project. This was the first session from the series titled ‘Women workers in culture’. The panellists were Selma Alispahić, the actress, and Lamija Begagić, the writer, and the moderator was Adisa Bašić.

We are pleased to invite you to a series of online Socrates Cafes where you will have a unique opportunity to participate in a philosophical dialogue with Christopher Phillips, the famous founder of Socrates Cafes.

FEMALE WORKERS IN CULTURE is a panel series, designed and moderated by professors from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Sarajevo Ajla Demiragić and Adisa Bašić. These panel discussions are realized as part of the UNIGEM project, implemented by the University Gender Resource Center (UNIGeRC) and the TPO Foundation.

In the period from 15-16. January 2024, the first TOT training module for strengthen the intercultural competences of teaching and professional staff was held for four schools in the Hadžići Municipality. The training was led by experts in the field of interculturalism and social cohesion: prof. Jasna Kovačevič, PhD, M.Sc. Elmana Cerić, Lejla Đelilović, BA and Mirza Kovačević, BA. The opening remarks were delivered by the director of the TPO Foundation, prof. Zilka Spahić Šiljak, PhD.

As part of the UNIGEM project, five new videos are created in cooperation with the legal expert Dr Nermin Šehović, LLM. The titles of new videos are: Current situation regarding gender-based violence in BiH, Evidence in cases of violence or femicide, Femicide in BiH and criminal procedure framework, How to recognize femicide and Procedure for reporting violence.

Review by Assist. Prof. Dr. Ana Marije Sikirić Simčić from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Rijeka was published in the Social Policy Review (Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 243-251, Zagreb 2023): ‘Universities can and should be powerful institutions for promoting gender equality, diversity and inclusion

On December, 01. 2023. a meeting was held with principals of elementary schools in the Hadžići municipality. The meeting was held at the “Hadžići” Elementary School with the psychologist of the 9th May Elementary School, the principal of the Hadžići Elementary School, the director of the 6th March Elementary School, as well as the project team attended.