Faculty members and students of the University “Džemal Bijedić” in Mostar, alongside the TPO Foundation, organized a series of lectures, workshops, and discussions as part of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign. This initiative aimed to educate both academic and non-academic staff, as well as students, on gender equality and gender-based violence.
The campaign kicked off on November 26, 2024, with a lecture on “Gender Equality” followed by a discussion led by Professor Dr. Rebeka Kotlo, the UNIGEM project coordinator for the University “Džemal Bijedić.” On November 28, 2024, Assistant Professor Dr. Maid Pajević delivered a lecture at the Faculty of Law on “Gender-Sensitive Police Services for Women and Girls Exposed to Violence.” The goal of this session was to increase awareness and knowledge about the importance of respecting gender equality.
On December 2, 2024, Professor Dr. Merima Jašarević held an interactive lecture at the Faculty of Economics on the topic “Gender Identities in Bosnian-Herzegovinian Culture: An Analysis of Oral Tradition.” The session included a discussion on using feminist methods to analyze literary oral traditions, particularly the folk ballad “Hasanaginica,” as a means to address traditional and patriarchal gender identity concepts in Bosnian culture.
Professor Jašarević continued her engagement on December 3, 2024, at the Faculty of Education with a lecture on “Family Dynamics and Domestic Violence in Urban and Rural Settings.” On December 7, 2024, Assistant Professor Dr. Maid Pajević gave a lecture on “Challenges and Strategies for Implementing Gender-Sensitive Policing” for students at the Faculty of Law.
On December 9, 2024, Professor Dr. Alena Huseinbegović, the Rector of the University “Džemal Bijedić,” delivered a lecture on “Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence: Legal Aspects” for students at the Faculty of Law. The following day, December 10, 2024, she led another lecture and discussion on “Compensation for Victims of Gender-Based Violence.”
The campaign concluded with a closing event where Rector Professor Dr. Alena Huseinbegović and UNIGEM Project Coordinator Professor Dr. Rebeka Kotlo highlighted the significance of the UNIGEM project and the Gender Equality Plan at the University “Džemal Bijedić.” They emphasized the importance of continuous education, awareness-raising, and ensuring the availability of support services for victims of gender-based violence, while also addressing the need to prevent and sanction gender-based violence, discrimination, and sexual harassment.
The UNIGEM project is being implemented by the Transcultural Psychosocial Educational Foundation (TPO) in partnership with 19 universities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro, including the University “Džemal Bijedić” in Mostar. The project reflects a strategic commitment by universities to ensure gender equality and create a safe environment for both faculty and students at higher education institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.
