Publications

According to the 2013 census, women represent around 51 per cent of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, they are under-represented across society, including in politics. Increasing women’s participation in politics would be beneficial for society as a whole, not only for women. Women’s participation in politics and elections, be it as candidates, voters, or party supporters, is a democratic principle that ensures that their needs are well addressed.

In spite of the progress made in the field of gender equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a comprehensive legal framework and introduced specialized services for survivors of gender-based violence, predominantly for victims of domestic violence, discrimination and violence based on gender in both the public and private spheres continue to be highly prevalent in BiH. Violence not only affects individual women, it endangers the well-being of the society as a whole.

The fifth edition of the OSCE Local Dialogue Academy for Young Women (LDA) will be organized from 19 to 23 June 2023 in Istog/Istok. The Academy provides a platform for young women to overcome barriers in communication, deconstruct stereotypes and establish a basis for dialogue through peer-to-peer learning, coaching and mentoring activities. It aims at enhancing communication among youth from different communities, focusing on common issues of concern related to gender equality and women’s empowerment in particular. For more information see the info package. Send your application by 25 May 2023 (23:59 hrs) to localDA-OMiK@osce.org

This volume is arranged thematically according to the main issues related to the human dimension. It is intended for use by government officials and civil society organizations, academics, students, and practitioners alike.

This volume presents chronologically the OSCE's human dimension commitments over its 30-year history. It is intended for use by government officials and civil society organizations, academics, students, and practitioners alike.

As part of its comprehensive election observation methodology, the second edition of the Handbook on Observing and Promoting Women’s Participation in Elections builds on the first edition published in 2004 and elaborates further ODIHR’s methodology for assessing and issuing recommendations on women’s participation in elections.

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the OSCE Secretariat Gender Issues Programme WIN Project commissioned research into the intersections of gender equality and national minorities. The factsheet highlights key findings and provides recommendations to OSCE participating States to promote equal opportunities for minority women.

This report highlights the impact of activities carried out by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in 2022.

This factsheet describes how ODIHR works to promote gender equality in politics and democratic institutions.

The booklet on “Women’s Inheritance Rights” is designed to raise awareness among the general public, including women from rural communities and relevant institutions about women’s inheritance rights. Based on the feedback received during the Mission’s workshops on women’s property rights in 2021 and 2022, the Mission gathered a series of common issues in the implementation of women’s inheritance rights. The booklet responds to these issues by explaining the legal framework in a simplified and relatable manner, illustrating them through sample cases in the format of frequently asked questions and informing affected women, family members and civil society organizations about actions they can take to protect and enforce women’s inheritance rights.