UNODC supports Bosnia and Herzegovina in addressing violence against women

UNODC is mandated to promote crime prevention and criminal justice responses to violence against women, in line with relevant international standards and norms. It offers targeted technical assistance, including through its Global Programme on Strengthening Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Responses to Violence against Women and in collaboration with its partners under the UN-EU Spotlight Initiative and the Joint UN Global Programme on Essential Services for Women and Girls subject to Violence.

To assist and support countries, UNODC has developed a series of handbooks and training tools for police, prosecutors and the judiciary on effective and victim-centered responses to violence against women, including the recent Handbook on gender-responsive police services for women and girls subject to violence, published by UN Women, UNODC and the International Association of Women Police and an ad hoc thematic brief and a global review of emerging evidence concerning the impact on criminal justice responses to gender-based violence against women.

UNODC in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of its work in developing the capacity of criminal justice system to respond more promptly and effectively to violence against women and provide essential services to victims and survivors, organized a webinar focusing on key technical needs for ensuring delivery of gender-responsive police and justice services to women subjected to gender-based violence. This includes the ongoing shift from a perpetrator-oriented to a victim-oriented approach, training needs among local police as first line responders to gender-based violence against women and among police and prosecution services concerning victim-centered and sensitive responses, the need for police approaches that encourage and empower victims to report, the incorporation of a gender perspective into judicial decision-making, the issue of compensation and reparation as part of the criminal verdict, as well as lengthy criminal procedures.

“Gender-based violence is an issue that is important for the whole region of South Eastern Europe.  This is an important issue for my country as well and therefore I am pleased to be able to address you on this topic” said the First Lady of North Macedonia, Ms. Elizabeta Gjorgievska in her statement addressing the event. She emphasized that “We should all practice enhanced co-operation, both within the UN agencies and national institutions on this important topic and promote a truly gender-responsive police and justice sector, where officials are fully trained, supported by management, and enjoy faith and trust of the communities in which they live and work.”

International experts in the law enforcement and justice systems from the United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa specializing in addressing violence against women shared their experience and insights, while animating a discussion for over 40 professionals/practitioners in law enforcement, police, justice, prosecution and judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina on ways to implement gender-based strategies to the local context and also identify specific needs to ensure a coordinated criminal justice response to gender-based violence against women.

This event was organized in cooperation with the UNODC Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe and marks this year’s “16 days of activism” campaign against gender-based violence as part of the global efforts in addressing this important topic.