The TPO Foundation hosted the sixth book promotion on December 4, 2025, in collaboration with the University of “Džemal Bijedić” in Mostar, for Judith Butler’s book Who’s Afraid of Gender?.The event was part of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign. The promotion was moderated by Prof. Dr. Rebeka Kotlo, and Ms. Edisa Demić discussed the book.
In her opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Kotlo reflected on the importance of the “16 Days for Gender Equality” campaign and the UNIGEM network, briefly recalling the achievements of the UNIGEM project from which the network emerged. During the promotion, the issues of gender stereotypes and prejudices were highlighted, as well as the need for the prevention and sanctioning of gender-based violence and the strengthening of systemic support for victims.
The book promoter, Ms. Edisa Demić, offered a highly engaged interpretation of Judith Butler’s work, emphasizing the key ideas that highlight the importance of the book for contemporary society, particularly in the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most significant point she raised was that “Butler addresses one of the central issues of today: why has the concept of gender become a global political and ideological enemy? Rather than being understood as part of human experience and social relations, gender is often portrayed as a danger, a threat to family, children, religion, and nation.”
According to Butler, as explained by Ms. Demić, anti-gender movements around the world use the concept of “gender” as a symbolic enemy to generate fear, consolidate social power, and justify authoritarian tendencies. These movements create an atmosphere of panic and moral threat, while real social problems—violence, economic insecurity, wars, and climate crises—are pushed aside.
Speaking about the book’s relevance to our context, Ms. Demić emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with the entire region, is witnessing violence against women and an increase in femicides. This is why, she stressed, the book provides a crucial tool for understanding the broader picture: how fear is produced, how it is manipulated, and how narratives are built that turn people against each other.
Ms. Demić concluded her presentation by highlighting one of the book’s key messages: that we should not only combat fanaticism, hatred, and manipulation with facts, but also by creating a different vision of society—a vision in which every human being has the dignity and the right to exist without fear.
Butler calls for courage, and as Ms. Demić emphasized, this courage is needed more than ever, at a time when the struggle for gender equality intersects with the fight for democracy, human rights, and freedom of thought.
The promotion concluded with an open discussion among students, faculty members, and civil society activists, with the message that academic institutions must remain spaces where critical thinking, solidarity, and resistance to all forms of violence are nurtured.
