Who we are. Development of the Organization

Transcription

1 Who we are Žene Ženama, heterogeneous in its internal structure, is an organization recognizable by its experience and a lasting engagement in solving daily problems in complex male-female relations and various dimensions of empowerment and assistance to women in cross-border cooperation relations. Founded in 1997 it is an organization of women and for women. Therefore, all activities and programs are undertaken with a special emphasis on women direct participants as well as direct and indirect beneficiaries. Žene Ženama is a membership based organization (currently there are 245 members). Mission: zene zenama is a NGO dedicated to women's affirmation in all spheres of private and public life. Vision: To build a society of equal opportunities where women can fully realize their potential. Values-Principles of work: team work, ensuring feminist principles in goals and principles of the organization, good dissemination of information, respecting differences, good communication, motivation and good will in the course of work, partnership, solidarity and transparency. Framework: promoting the approach to human rights through activist thinking, theory and practice which focuses on feminist concepts and international documents: CEDAW, MRC, Action Plan of the Beijing Declaration, European Convention, UN SC Resolution 1325 / Women, Peace and Security which requires that women's human rights are a priority in the context of the democratic reconstruction of peace, security and justice. Development of the Organization «Žene Ženama» is a model for an organization which maintains long term partnerships and cooperation among women and for women. Such model therefore, takes into account the differences among the members of the organization and those from the social context. The long term partnership is characterized by certain standards: physical abilities, social life, dignity, paid work, finances, membership, family life, ideas, positions, work, spirituality, education and career. Organization's programs have so far been financed mainly by the donors (international and some from the government budget) and partially from the membership fees. All programs are implemented in partnership with relevant partners (other organizations or government institutions on local, entity or state level). The role of partners is essential with a goal in mind to use the funds ( in an ever more effective manner), develop programs that can finance themselves and cooperate with the private/corporate sector in order to maintain the sustainability of non-governmental organizations.

2 Bosnian-herzegovian environment The feature attributes of the society in Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter B&H) are unemployment, under-development and passiveness of the executive and legislative branches of government, which although based on a multi-party system they are strongly affected by the ideological suitability. The political pluralization, started during 1990, created an electoral body divided between nationalistic and civic ideologies, where the equality of sexes, as well as the equality of minorities, in comparison to the constitutive people, is addressed as a more formality. Therefore, to speak about women and their social and political engagement means to speak about their marginalization and their position within a dynamic and very complex political scene. Women are involved in various interest groups (non-governmental, religious, sports related, as well as political parties), whereby one of the key conditions for the creation of participatory democracy is partially fulfilled, but unfortunately it did not move past this. In fact, the real participation of women in political parties and their sporadic entrance into the political arena is not sufficient to conclude that the position of women is wholly equivalent to the position of men in the B&H society. The number of women in political, alone, does not guarantee the legitimacy of political institutions, but it does motivate other women to enter politics. Although the Institutional Framework for Promotion and Monitoring of a Balanced Participation of Women and Men in all fields of public and political life has been established, the exclusion of women from public decision-making is a reality and a part and parcel of an incomplete democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Women became a political object but not the carriers of political changes. For that requires much more effort and will power, primarily in the society at large, where a general attitude towards women has changed, but now women themselves ought to take a more active stand in fighting for their rights. The disparity between sexes is deeply rooted; the existing practices and government structures, as well as the processes of making certain decisions, do not allow for complete and effective participation of women in the public and political life of this country. Too often we hear questions such as: Are women wise? Do they have the skills to deal with people and to make it in life? Are they resourceful, adaptive, clever, and cunning? Do they know how to solve problems? Women are completely capable to participate in the creation of democratic values, but because the current mechanisms are geared towards the maintenance of the positions of power for men they hardly allow for women's full participation, which would affirm women's work, or politics for women. Women in B&H live and work in an environment overloaded withtransition and insecurity related to democratic guarantees, specifically those related to gender equality. There are vast differences of opinion on the position of women. The very introduction of elementary aspects of gender equality, whether it be to include in the documents of a political party or laws or bylaws, does not necessarily lead to the renunciation of traditional thinking on the role of women, held by men and certain circles of women. Strategic goals Introduction of mandatory classes on gender and gender equality Psychosocial counseling and provision of team counseling services Raising the capacities of employees in institutions, wich are responsible for implementing policies in the field of gender equality

3 Working programs and activities 2

4 Women in education and action

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7 Information about the Civil society sustainability program (2015) Association Women to Women within the Civil Society Sustainability Program in B&H (CSSP), which is implemented by Centers for Civil Initiatives (CCI) and the Centre for Promotion of Civil Society (CPCS) with the financial help of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in B&H in the women's right sector, implement projects: (1) establishing and developing sector network and (2) campaigns and monitoring. The key partner in implementing of these projects is the Humanitarian Association of citizens Woman of Trnovo. The program has three components: (1) Developing stakeholder networks, establishing and developing Womennet network; (2) Conducting advocacy campaigns to address the priority issues identified through sectorial networks of stakeholders- campaigns and monitoring and (3) Creating and implementation of sustainability strategies and communication with the citizens. Establishing and developing a sector network (Womennet) has the goal to establish a Bosnian- Herzegovinian base regarding consultation on the elimination of discrimination and social exclusion of women by using women rights network to achieve a greater impact on improvement of public policies in accordance with women human rights and gender equality. Womennet is trying to achieve cooperation, coordination and collaboration of different individuals "stakeholders" in a joint action that could lead to changes in public policies and improve social services. The network supports their common interaction trough exchange and collection of information, ideas and resources to achieve mutual goals. The network is a valuable instrument for this task achievment. Involving citizens, business representatives and academic community who are rarely involved in this initiative as well as the participation of representatives of civil society organizations, institutional mechanisms for gender equality, government and the media is a very effective way to achieve long-term social change. Personal motivation and commitment of individuals, women and men to join their efforts in achieving a common goal are the main criteria for joining the network. Following the representative structure (geographical coverage and the represent area), all members of the network have a unique role in raising awareness, informing and sensitizing the general public, and the impact on the improvement of public policies and laws that prevent discrimination and violation of human rights of women in employment, protection from gender-based violence and political participation.

8 The environment is a constant source of obstacles that threaten the realization of women's human rights and can be divided into several groups: inadequate legislation; inadequate monitoring and implementation of the law ; resources; administration and services at all levels of administration; traditional, information, communication and socio-economic barriers and inadequate public attention to the most vulnerable groups, especially to women. Key issues that will be addressed through Womennet public advocacy actions in the future activities are: Women are not familiar with existing legislation, policies and documents directed towards women's rights, and this especially refers to extremely poor women and women who are exposed to multiple discrimination - Roma women, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women, women with disabilities, women from ethnic minorities, older women and women from rural areas. Domestic violence Discrimination on the basis of gender in employment, progress and providing various benefits Laws and other legal acts-statutes, strategies, rules, etc. are not in accordance with the law on Gender Equality, and Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination which has led to a chaotic legal situation in the country in terms of access to economic and social rights of women.

9 Conducting advocacy campaigns to address the priority issues identified through sectorial networks of stakeholders aims to active participation of citizens and their organizations focus through the campaign "Human rights for all women in B&H" refers to decision makers to implement of public policies that are prohibiting discrimination and social exclusion of women. Joint and active participation will: 1. encourage a desirable exchange of information and cooperation among sectors in society (public, profit and non-profit) with the media and citizens to focus on the problems of women; 2. raise awareness of the wider community about the human rights of women and the specific needs of individuals and vulnerable groups in order to create a common understanding of the needs and unfulfilled rights of women; 3 make influence on the government representatives to act responsibly and transparently regarding application of policies, laws, strategies and other documents and that the decision-making include representatives of civil society organizations; and 4. encourage a continuous monitoring of programs, decisions, strategies and laws that authorities provides by civil society organizations and citizens. Creation and implementation of sustainability strategies and communication with citizens, refers to the OCA assessment of the capacity of the organization, making sustainability strategy of the organization for the period and making communication strategies. As part of the program and its key components are carried out various activities based on the support, participation, influence / pressure (the decision makers and policy) and communication strategy through the public events- actions, round tables, consultations (meetings, surveys) and campaigns, informs, motivates, persuades, requests and launches the target (s) audience(s) to implement and make public policy, but also changing behavior in the implementation of public policies that prohibit discrimination and social exclusion of women. Activities are conducted in both entities including Brčko District - in urban and rural communities. The ultimate beneficiaries / users: all citizens in the project area. Target group-primary and secondary: citizens involved in NGOs and their users, citizens gathered in local communities, as well as their families and friends, politicians, officials, businessmen, media, unions, utilities and public institutions. We inform the wider public on key issues of women that lead to discrimination and social exclusion of women by distribution of promotional materials and through other types of activities that take place within the campaign and meetings with women, meetings with decision makers, public debates and local actions, proposed by local organizations working in the field of women's rights and gender equality that are members of the network Womennet. In the distribution of promotional all available materials are used; traditional and new channels of communication such as the Internet (portals, social networks).

10 Some ongoing and past projects Action Duration Donor Civil Society Sustainability Project USAID) PREVENT Kinderpostzegels/ InFondation Gender sensitivity for gender perspective Municipality Centar, Canton Sarajevo Women s studies Žarana Papić Kvinna til Kvinna, Global Fund for Women Increase the participation of women - improve life for all in the SNV Netherlands Development 2013 Municipality of Žepče Organisation City of Equality Establishment of Gender Equality on a local level FIGAP Employment opportunities for youth and women in rural municipalities Centre for Civil Initiatives (CCI) Building Gender Security Network on the Western Balkans UNWOMEN Violence against women - recognize and prevent! FOSI NY (Foundation Open Society Institute) Lack assessment and consultation on the integration of gender and gender politics in the reform of the security sector in BiH DCAF (Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces) The promotion of Action plan UNSCR 1325 in B&H (Women, peace and security) UNWOMEN Women s rule in peace building processes in local communities in B&H 2011 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Citizens in transition of social conflicts- communication or emotional investment 2010 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Public participation in peace processes UNIFEM The prosecution of rape cases in the International Tribunal of Former Yugoslavia and the State Court of B&H: medica mondiale Encourage citizen participation in the protection of human rights and access to justice in BiH AECI-OTC Political empowerment of women in B&H 2006 American Embassy in B&H Monitoring of implementation UN Resolution Women, Peace and Security 2005 UNIFEM Women activists crossing borders Gender, equality and reform of social help in BiH - women's voices and visions Human Rights in the Western Balkans - Violence against women The Balkan Trust of Democracy and Council of Europe CFD, American Embassy, FFE HOM (Humanistisch Overleg Mensenrechten) Women can do it Norwegian People's Aid Women in multicultural initiatives Heart and Hand Women in action for social rights Sarajevo City Return of lost identity Women and women s organizations in B&H Kvinna till Kvinna

11 Membership in networks

12 Organization information The name: Association Žene Ženama Abbreviation: NGO Žene Ženama Founded: March 4th 1997 Address: City: Dolina 1 (Human rights house) Sarajevo County: Bosnia and Herzegovina Phone: Fax: Web site: President of Assembly: President Managing Board Accounting agency: Auditor agency: Contact person: Staff : Intern Volunteers: zene2000@zenezenama.org Ranka Katalinski Sanja Alatović Dealming Sarajevo Reviqual East Sarajevo Indira Mujić Memnuna Zvizdić, MA - Executive director Indira Mujic financial and administrative manager Mirjana Musić coordinator in the counselling department Lejla Arnaut - PR coordinator Irena Šehić assistent in the department of project planning and impelementation Sanda Đurđević- assistent in the department of project planning and impelementation Amela Karabašić, MA Enisa Muhić, Student

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