4th November 2016

Meeting Agency and Safe Network

On 4th November 2016, a joint meeting of representatives of the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Steering Board of the Safe Network was held.

At this meeting, representatives of the Agency introduced the Steering Board of the Safe Network with the possibility of concrete co-operation on the implementation of a multi-year project to be implemented by the Agency over the next three years with the financial support of USAID and in partnership with UN Women, Gender Centres and NGOs.

The aim of the project is to reduce gender-based violence in BiH by preventing, addressing and suppressing the presence of violence in society.

They emphasized that the Safe Network was identified by the Agency for Gender Equality as a strategic partner in the implementation of activities within the presented project. It was also said that the Agency recognized the importance of the long-term commitment of the Safe Network and that it is important in the long term to further develop and strengthen a common platform for the operation of the Safe Network and the Agency, based on the practice of agreed action, a multisectoral approach to support victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence, the promotion of direct protection of victims of violence and the implementation of the Framework Strategy for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. The Agency will, in January 2017, have more details on concrete activities whose realization can be achieved by cooperation and then inform the Safe Network. After the meeting, a statement was made to the BHT1 journalism team, which prepared a contribution to the topic of work and financing of safe houses in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the purpose of broadcasting the Political Magazine. The participants of the meeting were relevant collocutors on this topic. The statements were given by: Saša Leskovac, on behalf of the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Azra Hasanbegović and Gordana Vidović, on behalf of the Steering Board of the Safe Network.