Red signs saying “Pazi Mine” dot the country side between Sarajevo and Tuzla – another stark reminder of a recent war.  While much of the capital city has been de-mined, once outside the main residential areas, the mines remain.

Today, we visited UNIFEM programs in Tuzla, the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The true dedication of the program workers was evident by the fact they had given up their Sundays to brief our delegation.   Some of the programs were based in Tuzla, but others in Banja Luka, 3 hours drive from Tuzla.

Violence prevention is a major focus of many of the NGOs in Tuzla and Banja Luka.  Two things stood out for me straight away.  The first, was that in a country of nearly 4 million people, there are only 9 domestic violence shelters.  Secondly, the State provides no funding for violence services.  A recent study showed that the Government of BiH spends up to $60 million on ‘community organisations’, however more than 90% of that funding is channelled towards the soccer team and pensions for war veterans.  Violence services rely on UNIFEM and international donor funds to operate. 

BiH is now considered a middle income country and many donors are withdrawing funds in favour of countries in ‘greater need’.  Without international donor support, many of the gender equality programs would be forced to close.

One of the other partner programs we were introduced to focused on providing counselling and psychological support to women who were victims of rape during the war.  Focusing on providing women with support networks, health services and future opportunities through education and employment training, this program is one of a kind in BiH. 

In Banja Luka, the focus is on attitudinal change among young people.  A number of programs are being rolled out focusing on healthy relationships.  While there are many community organisations, few focus on the needs of young people and more specifically, young women.   UNIFEM is partnering with a local NGO to support women’s NGOs to engage with young people, and to assist young people in organising for advocacy.

Towards the end of the day, we toured the local community radio station, Vesta, which was established from a UNIFEM grant. 
The radio station started in reaction to community concern about the number of women in Tuzla who were experiencing violence, or who had been raped during the war.  Many of these women were not able to access support services, employment or education and as such, were at home and isolated.  The radio station was a way to communicate health messages and support to those women.  Soon, other NGOs were approaching the station asking to have slots to communicate their messages.  Today, Vesta provides training to NGOs in how to access radio and other media opportunities.  They also provide free slots to NGOs to run programs on their specific interest areas.  It is estimated that more than 100,000 women listen to the station regularly.  These women hear information about violence, family relationships, health, education, human rights and community development which they would otherwise have no access to.  Reflecting on the current debate at home about the National Broadband Network, I am reminded that free and accessible information is something we take for granted.

Leaving Tuzla, I feel a strong sense that we can do more to support the Balkan Region.  I look forward to talking to you all about how we might do that upon my return.