Žene Ženama is a “self-organized women's group which contributes to development of civil society through empowerment of women and women's groups and advocates for respect of women's human rights in all spheres of private and social life.” Established in 1997 by a group of women in Sarajevo representing a variety of ethnicities who felt a need to gather together "women of all profiles, regardless of their religious, national or political orientation. "Žene Ženama offered a safe space for women to meet and to raise consciousness about women’s rights through education and pyschological support. Now its programs range from counseling and support services to comprehensive civic advocacy, educational, and research initiatives on gender equality and women’s human rights.

Recent News

Women's NGOs demand European action to end male violence against women - On the International Day on the eradication of violence against women, women's NGOs call for a strong Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on combating male violence against women. On 1-3 December, delegates from the 47 CoE countries will meet in Strasbourg to discuss the first draft of a new CoE convention aiming at preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The European Women's Lobby (EWL) warmly welcomes this text, that proves a strong political will to address and eradicate male violence against women at European level, and will closely monitor the development of the Convention....click here for more information…. PRESS RELEASE in English and PRESS RELEASE French version.

Public presentation on gender sensibility and gender perspective, education for Youth on Elimination of Gender Based Violence: 19/11/2009 - The program has been implemented since 1999 aimed to improve relations between genders, develop knowledge and skills through educational programs and promote values of non - violence, tolerance, solidarity and gender equality. The students from Isak Samokovlija primary school used an interactive learning through exercises and exchange of experiences. They stimulated and developed new perceptions, new values of gender equality as a concept which is not limited with strict gender roles.

Workshop on monitoring progress of project activities: 17 /11/2009 - Promotion of Dialogue and Participation of Civil Society as an Instrument of Conflict Prevention and Reconcilation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a project supported by OTC/AECID aimed to support peace building in BiH. The workshop aimed to assess and evaluate the programs and its activities implemented, held in Hotel Bosnia, Sarajevo. All partners organizations and coordination networks realize the importance of the programme in their own respective communites and beneficiaries. The project achieved more structure and well coordinated local actions among NGOs and civil society. Žene Ženama organized 10 seminars,10 tribunes and 3 workshops that contributed on reduction of tension between members of constitutive nations.

2-day strategic planning workshop: 15-16/11/2009 - Žene Ženama staff and management gathered in a 2-day workshop on strategic planning under the program activities of Women Studies "EU transfer of knowledge and experience of Women's NGOs facilitated by Rada Boric. One of the key points highlighted, the group identified main areas and focus of thier work and activites for the next 1-3 years. These are: continuous work on capacity building of women and women's NGOs, women in political life and promotion of gender equality and mainstreaming, and women in peace and security. There was a total of 6 workshops organized for the period.

Forum on Mainstreaming of Gender in the Institutions and Security Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina: 30/10/2009 – Žene Ženama in cooperation with EUPM, EUFOR and four local women NGOs (HCA - Banja Luka, BiH – Mostar, Horizonti - Tuzla and Budocnost - Modrica) held a forum on the "Participation on Public in Peace Processes - United Nation Security Council Resolution 1325 in Hotel Europe, Sarajevo on October 30, 2009. The forum was participated by different actors and stakeholders from Ministries in BiH, police sectors, women NGOs in BiH and The Balkans, faculties, and international organizations. These efforts have been supported by UNIFEM through its program: "Implementing UN SCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security“. The monitoring report is a result of an ongoing work since 2005 and provides an assessment of the implementation of the UN SCR 1325 in BiH, with the aim of ensuring successful ongoing advocacy of gender issues at the national level. The project intervention is to empower and provide social capacities aimed to work on peace and security issues. In Bosnia & Herzegovina the civil society sector is generally familiar with the UNSCR1325 and its importance for women's participation in all levels of society. Women's organizations have contributed to the implementation of the Resolution in a number of official and informal trainings, consultations and networking with governmental institutions. Žene Ženama organized the following activities: meetings and consultation between UNIFEM, partner organizations and working teams, two strategic meetings/Forums, 2 training of trainers, and 13 local workshops.

Activities by the end of the year: 31/12/2009 - Žene Ženama in cooperation with Kvinna till Kvinna organization from Sweden have been implementing the project "Women and Women's Organizations" since 1998. This project is in progress and its activities by the end of the year are the following: workshops on violence in "Obala" gymnasium on 9 December 2009, workshops on communication in November 2009, and two workshops on health.

The "Promotion of Dialogue and Participation of Civil Society as an Instrument of Conflict Prevention and Reconcilation in Bosnia and Herzegovina“ project which Žene Ženama have been implemented in cooperation with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation will be completed on 30 November 2009. Promotion of the book on all the activities done in this project will be held on 10 December 2009.