Combating Gender-Based Violence

These infographics show the main survey findings of the OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women for Bosnia and Herzegovina in a clear and concise manner. They serve as an overview of the main findings.

The documents on this page present the cross-regional, comparable findings of the OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women, which was implemented in 2018 in selected countries in South Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe. The OSCE-led survey included a quantitative and qualitative component and was undertaken with the goal of providing comparable data on different forms of violence women experience in their childhood and throughout the course of their lives. The research examined violence that women experience in conflict and non-conflict settings, as well as the impact violence has on women and girls, including its lasting consequences. Questions on norms and attitudes connected to violence against women were asked to better understand the underlying causes of violence and the particular circumstances of disadvantaged women and girls were examined. Every report includes a list of key conclusions and proposed action points for a variety of actors from civil society, OSCE participating States and OSCE executive structures.

This report presents the representative survey findings of the OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The survey was implemented in 2018 in selected countries in South Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe. The OSCE-led survey included a quantitative and qualitative component and was undertaken with the goal of providing comparable data on different forms of violence women experience in their childhood and throughout the course of their lives. The research examined violence that women experience in conflict and non-conflict settings, as well as the impact violence has on women and girls, including its lasting consequences. Questions on norms and attitudes connected to violence against women were asked to better understand the underlying causes of violence.

Despite the progress made in the field of gender equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) - a comprehensive legal framework and enhanced specialized services for victims of domestic violence, discrimination and violence based on gender in both public and private spheres continue to be highly prevalent in BiH. Violence not only affects individual women but also undermines the well-being of the society as a whole. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Mission) recognizes that gender-based violence is an impediment to the security and safety of all citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Mission prioritizes efforts to strengthen institutional response to gender-based violence (GBV) in BiH - a widespread and underreported phenomenon.

Decision taken at the 14th Ministerial Council in Sofia, 7 December 2004

In 2024 the OSCE Mission in BiH supported four committees of both houses of the Parliament of Federation of BiH4 in holding three thematic sessions on domestic violence. This collaboration was the result of a need for an increased and strategic approach towards the gender-based violence issue that needed an urgent respond and long-standing co-operation between the Mission and the key stakeholders and decision-makers.

In a significant step towards equality of women and men and the elimination of violence against women, Presidents of Women’s Fora and representatives of political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have reached a consensus on the Principles for Political Engagement for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

This report presents findings of the OSCE’s quantitative and qualitative study in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on violence against women (VAW). The study was implemented in the spring and summer of 2018. This survey aimed to establish the prevalence, characteristics and consequences of these forms of violence using a multistage, stratified, random probability sample design. In general, the findings of this research were similar across the BiH Entities and BD of BiH. The results have been presented separately in cases where a statistically significant difference can be noted.

This report presents the representative survey findings of the OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The survey was implemented in 2018 in selected countries in South Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe. The OSCE-led survey included a quantitative and qualitative component and was undertaken with the goal of providing comparable data on different forms of violence women experience in their childhood and throughout the course of their lives. The research examined violence that women experience in conflict and non-conflict settings, as well as the impact violence has on women and girls, including its lasting consequences. Questions on norms and attitudes connected to violence against women were asked to better understand the underlying causes of violence.

This document is a shorter summary of the main results report, which presents the cross-regional, comparable findings of the OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women, which was implemented in 2018 in selected countries in South Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe. The OSCE-led survey included a quantitative and qualitative component and was undertaken with the goal of providing comparable data on different forms of violence women experience in their childhood and throughout the course of their lives. The research examined violence that women experience in conflict and non-conflict settings, as well as the impact violence has on women and girls, including its lasting consequences. Questions on norms and attitudes connected to violence against women were asked to better understand the underlying causes of violence.