Localization of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda through education in Bosnia and Herzegovina

“Thanks to the women who built peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina I am sitting here today”.

Said 23-year-old Nia Abadžić, a student at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security Studies at the University of Sarajevo, as she addressed the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. In October 2025, Nia took part in the Women Peace and Security (WPS) Week in New York, where she shared the experiences of women and girls from Bosnia and Herzegovina who, through education and intergenerational dialogue, contribute to building peace and trust in a post-conflict society.

Nia was among the 50 participants of the WPS Summer School, organized by her Faculty and the initiative Women Lead the Way Towards Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with support from the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The five-day program offered mentorship, practical knowledge, and a space for dialogue, sparking Nia’s interest in applying the principles of the WPS agenda in her future career.

“The Summer School was a platform for developing project ideas, fostering dialogue, and building trust. It awakened in me the desire to integrate the principles of the WPS agenda into every future step of my career,” Nia says.

Her experience from the WPS Summer School enabled her to represent young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina at the United Nations headquarters, demonstrating how investing in youth education can lead to global recognition and institutional change.

Institutional Outcome: A New Elective Course

Students from Bosnia and Herzegovina who choose to dedicate their professional careers to security, defense, international relations, and related fields generally do not have the opportunity to learn about the WPS Agenda through formal education. Previously, the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security Studies offered Introduction to Gender Studies as an elective course, and, upon the initiative of the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, students could attend master’s and doctoral Gender Studies programs at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS) of the University of Sarajevo.

Although some curricula still marginally address gender equality, a substantive engagement with this topic is largely missing, says Nerma Halilović-Kibrić, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security Studies.

However, this gap is now being successfully bridged thanks to the collaboration between the Faculty and the PBF-supported WPS initiative, implemented jointly by UN Women, UNFPA and IOM, in partnership with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After years without academic study on gender equality in peace and security processes, this field will now become part of formal education as an elective course for fourth-year students in the Security Studies program.

“This course systematically introduces the WPS framework into formal education and enables students to understand the gender dimension of security, peace processes, and institutional responses to contemporary security challenges,” says Professor Halilović-Kibrić.

Students who enrolled in the Security Studies program this year will be able to take this course in the fourth year. This will allow BiH to develop a new generation of security professionals trained to consider the specific needs of women and girls in the work they do, as well as the importance of ensuring that all members of society contribute equally to building safe communities.

“The University of Sarajevo and the entire education system of Bosnia and Herzegovina have taken an important step in localizing the WPS agenda. That is precisely its essence: for UN member states, especially those with experience of armed conflict, to integrate the inclusion of women in peace and security processes into various fields through concrete examples. We are proud that this time it is the education sector, because it is the most effective way to ensure a more just and secure future in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” 

Says Edita Miftari, WPS Programme Specialist at UN Women BiH, adding that she hopes there will be strong interest in the new course.

Gender Perspective Is Transforming Security Studies

The WPS topic is often mentioned within security studies departments at European universities, but usually as part of lessons across various courses. It is rare to see gender perspectives on security discussed for more than one or two classes, unless the lecturers themselves are experts in the field and choose to dedicate an entire semester to this topic, explains Dženeta Karabegović, Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Salzburg, who was a lecturer at the WPS Summer School in Sarajevo.

A gender perspective fundamentally challenges and expands the traditional security studies that have long dominated the field, says Professor Karabegović. By studying it, students prepare not only for contemporary security and political challenges but also acquire essential analytical knowledge useful for their future careers, whether in diplomacy, development, humanitarian work, international law, or corporate social responsibility.

“We know that gender equality intersects with climate security, economic development, and global governance, just to name a few, which means that students thus learn relevant skills in multiple policy domains as well,” says Professor Karabegović.

In Scandinavian countries, the WPS topic is part of many courses, mainly thanks to professors who are enthusiastic about this field and who network with one another, exchange curricula, and appear as guest lecturers, explains another lecturer of the WPS Summer School, Inger Skjelsbaek, Professor at the University of Oslo and research professor at the Peace Research Institute.

The Professor teaches a course on gender, peace, and security within gender studies, but the course is also open to interested students from other departments. PhD candidates can also come and study this topic at the Peace Research Institute in Oslo. Professor Skjelsbaek uses a practical example to explain why women should have an equal role in peacebuilding processes.

“Research shows that when women’s groups participate in a peace agreement, the peace will last longer because a larger portion of society is involved in shaping how that peace is built,” explains Professor Skjelsbaek.

In post-conflict societies around the world, women demonstrate their strength and tireless determination to rebuild communities and lead reconciliation processes. Their enthusiasm, as well as the needs they have along the way, must not be overlooked when shaping peace policies, and one of the best ways to ensure this is by educating new generations of leaders in this field.

“It is very important to talk about the equal role of women at faculties that educate future generations of experts in fields such as security, criminology, and diplomacy, especially in post-conflict societies that still feel the consequences of war. We are happy and proud that the efforts we invest in cooperation with higher education institutions are already showing concrete results through the interest of young women who wish to continue their professional careers in this direction,” concludes Miftari.