Bosnia urged to adopt consent-based definition of sexual violence
Representatives of the legislative and executive authorities, the judiciary, police agencies, gender equality bodies, academia, and civil society from Bosnia and Herzegovina and countries across the region gathered in Sarajevo to discuss practical perspectives on introducing a consent-based definition of sexual violence in Council of Europe member states.
The two-day conference is organized by the Council of Europe, within the framework of the project supporting the strengthening of the response of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions to digital and sexual violence against women, and the Gender Equality Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the support of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, CE Report informs via the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH's official website.
The aim of the conference is to bring together key actors responsible for combating violence against women in order to examine successful examples of implementing the principle of freely given consent in defining and prosecuting sexual violence, in line with the standards of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention), as opposed to earlier practices in which proving violence often relied solely on the existence of physical force.
Participants are analyzing experiences from Sweden, Belgium, Slovenia, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and discussing how these reforms contribute to better protection of victims, higher reporting rates of violence, and a more effective overall institutional response.
Opening the conference, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Bosnia and Herzegovina Christine Detaille referred to newly adopted legal solutions in Belgium and at the European Union level, where the focus is shifting toward supporting victims, facilitating the reporting of violence, and ensuring the implementation and enforcement of laws, alongside continuous training for police and judicial authorities to provide comprehensive protection.
Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo Bojana Urumova stressed that the Istanbul Convention benefits society as a whole, not only women but also men and boys. She called for a multi-sectoral approach to combating violence against women and girls, involving institutions, police, and the judiciary, as well as educational institutions, in order to break down stereotypes that hinder a better understanding of the problem of sexual violence.
Advisor to the Minister of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina Amina Kavazović reiterated the ministry’s commitment to continuing efforts to combat sexual violence, and violence against women and girls in general, and thanked partners at all levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the Council of Europe, for their support and joint work in harmonizing domestic legislation with the Istanbul Convention to ensure full protection of victims of gender-based violence throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Recommendations from the monitoring bodies of the Council of Europe call on Bosnia and Herzegovina to harmonize legislation at all levels with the Istanbul Convention, including the adoption of a definition of sexual violence based on freely given consent. Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the Istanbul Convention in 2013 and, with the continued support of the Council of Europe, is continuing to strengthen the institutional response to violence against women and domestic violence.
Photo: Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH
