Why The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation works in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Decades after the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still living with its scars—divided communities, unresolved trauma, and deep-rooted inequalities.

On paper, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s equality legislation is progressive. In reality, its implementation is patchy and widespread discrimination remains. Women earn less than men and rarely get paid maternity leave. Politics is male-dominated, so women engage with civil society to make their voices heard and count,

In the face of this, the Bosnian women’s movement promotes peace and dialogue, bridging divides between communities. It calls for accountability for wartime sexual violence, and stricter sentences for perpetrators of domestic violence. Through feminist organizing, they work to transform relationships fractured by conflict and build more just and inclusive futures. As the country’s progress is crippled by divisive politics and discrimination, activists have united to call for a fairer and gender equal constitution.

But opposition is fierce. With ethno-nationalist rhetoric and backlash on the rise women’s rights activists are regularly threatened as they challenge the nationalist political agenda and anti-gender narratives.