Where Have the Women Gone from BH Government?

There are no women, no young people – the average age of the new BH Government is 55 years.

In the new assembly of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with an average age of 55 years, the youngest minister is 43 years old and there is not one female minister. They will get only two deputy seats. Even though BH has accepted the Law for Gender Equality, according to which the state authorities and authorities for local government and self-government, the executive authorities in companies, political parties and other non-profit organisations will ensure and promote gender equality according to the gender in governing and decision-making, obviously, it is easier said than done.

-We called on political parties, we wrote them that they have to obey the Law for Gender Equality in constituting the government. We sent a letter to the president of the Council of Ministers, Nikola Spiric, to the parliament and to all of them. As long as the negotiations on constituting the government last that long, it is not good for women – said Samra Filipovic-Hadžiabdic, head of the Agency for the Gender Equality in BH.

There are no sanctions for inequality

Nowhere in the world are there are no sanctions for political parties, which do not nominate women for the ministry seats, says the head of the agency. Even if they invest efforts, they could only make the Euro Atlantic integration slower.

-Nominating women for some positions, just because they are women, does not automatically mean a better situation in gender equality. The atmosphere here is not ‘women friendly’, which means that they are not in such a position, as men, to get involved into politics, let’s say, the meetings are mostly late in the afternoon. The sessions can last very long, mostly in the evening, and day-care centres cannot look after children during that time. Due to that, in Sweden it is banned to have sessions after 5.00 p.m. – said Samra Filipovic Hadziabdic.

Croatian Government is younger with four female ministers

The Croatian government is a bit younger than the BH government. The average age is 49.5, and there are four female ministers, and even one woman vice-president. The oldest is Bozo Biskupic who will turn 69 years this year, and the youngest is Ivica Kirin, 37.

At the last assembly of the Serbian Government, there was just one woman, who left the ministry position, Ivana Dulic Markovic. She is in the average of 52 years.

Serbia was the only state of former the Yugoslavia, which had a woman as an officer in charge as president, Natasa Micic. Her photograph provoked numerous controversies.