Promotion and education of NGOs on reform of judicial system and its influence to respect of women human rights
With the aim of supporting and promoting improvement of legal system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vesta Association implements project which has a goal of familiarizing the public in B&H with this process through the media and strengthening of non-governmental organizations for providing support for their users in cases of violation of their human rights.
Vesta directs the project towards non-governmental organizations, as direct users and listeners of radio stations in the wider area of towns of Tuzla, Travnik, Banovići, Srebrenica, Mostar, Zenica, Sarajevo and Banja Luka as their target audience.
Results achieved
VESTA Association, within VESTA Radio produced 10 half an hour shows The letter of the law about legislative system reform in BH, judicial practice in the protection of women rights and the most common problems that the victims of family violence are faced with in their work, prosecution authorities, the judiciary, social workers, and Ministry of home affairs. Prepared shows are reshow in the programs of radio station from an informal network that consists of Balkan radio, Banja Luka, BM radio, Zenica, Youth radio X, Mostar, TNT radio, Travnik, JPRTV Radio Bihać, Bihać and Student radio Efm, Sarajevo. VESTA Association came to crushing conclusion that current comprehension of the legal system characterizes general distrust in judicial authorities, impossibility to consider a positive outcome of already started judicial process, as well as impossibility to ensure an adequate legal help and representation according to home and international standards.
For the purpose of the improvement of cooperation with judicial institutions and non-governmental sector at the level of legal protection of women from violence and giving professional help three workshops were organized in Tuzla, Sarajevo and Banja Luka, in whose work the representatives of non-governmental organizations that were program-oriented on dealing with this problematic, as well as the representatives of the institutions that deal with the prosecution of family violence cases participated. Practical work of the workshops was based on leading discussions about the possibilities of non-governmental organizations to adequately inform their users about judicial practice, remedy, the possibility of starting judicial procedures and legal protection in the cases of violating their human rights, the most common problems they meet with in the practice and the ways of their efficient overcoming, as well as the space for the improvement of the cooperation with governmental and non-governmental sector in this extremely important social area. The realization of the workshops advanced the knowledge of non-governmental that deal with the issues of respect of human women rights and family violence, a constructive dialogue between governmental and non-governmental sector that deals with these issues is achieved. Women in the community, whose rights had been violated, have already recognized NGOs as places where they can get the support to start judicial procedure against violators of legal human women rights, because they are often asked for help.
With the consulting support of two legal practitioners, a promotion leaflet is created, aimed for the users of secured houses, but also for all women that used to suffer or still suffer family violence. The leaflet contains the information that is useful to victims of family violence to better understand legislative and judicial practice, the possibility of starting judicial procedures and legal protection that is available in cases of the violation of their human rights. The promotion leaflet Raise your voice is distributed in a great number to non-governmental organizations, and the aim of its printing was to encourage women to report violence and to fight for their rights, and to enable non-governmental organizations to provide a better quality support to their users.
Users' and participants' statements:
Azir Mrđanović, Gender Center FB&H
"In my opinion, there should be more such projects. The workshops were extremely dynamic, and the presentation was interactive and enabled each participant the possibility of discussion. If the aim of the project was to raise the consciousness of the citizens about possible ways of realizing their rights, then the aim is completely fulfilled.
Donor: USAID JSDP
