When patriarchy becomes institutionalized and sacralized, gender-based violence is often justified or silently condoned. 

On April 18, 2026, the Director of the TPO Foundation, Prof. Dr. Zilka Spahić Šiljak, delivered a lecture titled “The Role of Religion in the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence,” organized by Youth for Peace and the Ecumenical Women’s Initiative. 

During the lecture, Prof. Spahić Šiljak discussed the differences between personal and structural violence, as well as the influence of various traditions on the construction of gender roles. Special attention was given to the philosophical legacy of Aristotle and its impact on interpretations of gender relations within the religious traditions of Christianity and Islam. 

Although both Christian churches and Islamic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina today clearly condemn all forms of violence, including gender-based violence, there are still individuals and groups who attempt to justify hierarchical gender roles through literal interpretations of the Bible and the Qur’an. 

In the discussion that followed, young participants highlighted the continued strong presence of traditional patriarchal norms, as well as resistance to gender equality, which is often misinterpreted as a threat to tradition and religion.