What Do Women Want?

AIM Banja Luka, June 8, 2001

"Women in the B&H Economy", "Role of Women in the Stability Pact for South-East Europe", "Priorities of the Strategy of the Political Involvement of Women" are round tables and seminars that have been lately organised by local non-governmental organisations with the assistance of foreign donors. Even their fiercest opponents have to admit that women's associations and organisations have become a "serious factor" in both B&H entities. For, the women's movement, (or as some call it the women's lobby) succeeded in making public some until recent taboo subjects, like domestic violence and sexual harassment, as well as to bring women into Parliament, to influence the adoption of key laws and work of even most powerful political parties.

As many as 240 various non-governmental organisation are registered in the territory of Republika Srpska (RS). They include over 30 women's organisation and associations. True, not all these NGOs are active.

Some of them do not even have permanent headquarters or actual membership because, most probably, they were established with one single motive: to get the money from foreigners. When their leaders realised that foreigners were not so dumb, especially when it came to money, the only thing left of such organisations was their name as a proof of (yet another) misconception.

It is estimated that some 15 women's non-governmental organisations are working in Republika Srpska. The most active among them are: The United Women of Banja Luka, Lara from Bijeljina, Buducnost (The Future) from Modrica, Dom (Home) from Nevesinje, as well as the Banja Luka Helsinki Citizen Parliament which, although not "women's" non-governmental organisation by its name, is focused on problems, needs and rights of women.

Not only in the so-called women's organisation, but generally, women today are calling the shots in the non-governmental sector in RS and entire B&H. Although there are no statistical data on the number and gender pattern of those employed and involved with the NGOs, the fact remains that in most cases women are presidents of non-governmental organisations and much more enterprising activists in this sector than their male colleagues.

Many think that women have joined the work of NGOs in such great numbers simply because there was nothing else they could do. Men are running the show in politics, but also in the economy, banking sector and state institutions. Where there is money and power "the strong sex" rules, holding key positions in decision-making bodies. However, the long-term objective of the women's non-governmental sector is to fundamentally change this traditional pattern.

And while "male chauvinists" accused women's organisations of feminism (which has an extremely negative meaning in the Balkan languages) and called their rallies "women's sit-togethers" women kept doing their thing. At the beginning they mostly dealt with women's issues. They were the first to speak openly about violence in the family. Their research showed that domestic violence was much more present than the public was aware, and that drunks and losers were not the only ones who beat their wives, but also some very distinguished members of the society, doctors of science and charming men whom no one would suspect of being such.

Already in 1997, the Banja Luka NGO "The United Women" and the Helsinki Citizen Parliament formed an office "The Women and the Law" which provides free legal aid to women. In three years, this office had some 700 women clients who mostly asked for help with their divorce: some 500 were victims of family violence, which in some cases went on for years.

Thanks to the lobbying of the women's non-governmental sector, the Criminal Code of RS sanctions domestic and marital violence. For the first time in the history of these parts rape in marriage has been characterised as criminal offence.

Until recently, the so-called "safe houses", i.e. shelters for women and children victims of domestic violence, were considered an "unimaginable luxury" which only the most affluent and developed countries (like Sweden or USA) can afford. However, this taboo has been broken. Early this year, thanks to the involvement of the Women's Association "The Future", first shelter of this kind in the RS, was open in Modrica. The abused women with their children could stay there for three months until they got back on their feet. Women have decided to exert the influence on the adoption of the permanent electoral law of B&H. According to the bill, whose adoption is expected this summer, the law envisages the obligation of at least 30 percent of women candidates on all ballots.

However, women activists are not satisfied with this. "I shall submit an amendment which envisages compulsory nomination of equal number of men and women", says Gordana Vidovic, President of the Women's Association "The Future" from Modrica. "I do not think that it is exaggeration: there are more women in the electorate of B&H and then why should ballots have more male candidates?" The story about compulsory nomination of women at elections started back in March 1998 when representatives of the non-governmental sector and women politicians presented their demands at the Conference of Women in Sarajevo. This was followed by lobbying in which, rumour has it, wife of Ambassador Robert Berry (the then Chief of the OSCE Mission to B&H and President of the Provisional Electoral Commission) also took part.

Naturally, it is debatable how much is this positive discrimination in line with the basic principles of democracy and, after all, how much are women themselves interested to participate in politics and vote for other women. But, "feminists" have made quite a progress: women are in all Assemblies, and even Governments in B&H. Incidentally, men in politics also stop at nothing when they want to achieve their goals.

Although their leaders would never admit that, this aggressive stand of the "women's lobby" forced political parties to seriously think about women in their ranks. Consequently, today all more important political parties have women's boards.

The credit for the establishment of sex equality committees in the Assemblies of both entities and at the level of B&H also goes to the women's non-governmental sector. Women's organisations and associations have an active role in the fight against trafficking in human beings, or to put it simply, against white slaves trade. For example, the Bijeljina Association of Women "Lara" provided shelter for dozens of girls from East European countries who have escaped from nightclubs in Republika Srpska. Thanks to Lara's women activists these young girls, who were most brutally blackmailed and forced into prostitution, succeeded in getting free from the clutches of their pimps and returned home. Last year, a coalition of women's organisations called "The Ring" was formed at the level of B&H for the purpose of fighting against such trafficking.

The new Criminal Code of RS also sanctions trade in women for the sake of prostitution as a special criminal offence and prescribes a punishment of 10 years in prison. Unfortunately, this legal provision has never been applied in practice: there has been no case of conviction for trafficking, although it is open secret that over 600 prostitutes from Eastern Europe are working in the RS.

Lately, the focus of attention of women's non-governmental sector has slowly shifted from politics and violence against women, to economy. There is an increasing number of gatherings and actions aimed at supporting the economic promotion of women, their entrepreneurship and greater participation in management. Associations of Women Managers and Directors have been established in both entities under the name "Una" with the objective of contributing to the creation of favourable environment for the participation of women in business. Women's Economic Network, which rallies women's NGOs and women entrepreneurs from the entire territory of B&H, has been created for the same purpose.

Perhaps this orientation towards economy has been prompted by the donors' stand who are no longer willing to finance the non-governmental sector in B&H. Until now, both women's and other NGOs were financed exclusively from foreign donations. However, as of late donors require non-governmental organisations to, at least partly, finance their projects and show a certain degree of self-sufficiency.

However, question is how can a sector, which, as a rule, must be non-political and non-profit, become sustainable. "That would be possible only if NGOs were to have their own employment projects and workshops. This is hard to achieve here also because of outdated legal regulations", says Mara Radovanovic, Vice President of the Women's Association "Lara".

In RS the work of NGOs is regulated by a pre-war Law on Association of Citizens, which envisages a large apparatus and excessive paperwork. Already a year ago the RS Government adopted the draft Law on Associations and Foundations, according to which the establishment and work of NGOs would be much simplified and updated. However, to this very day that law has not been submitted to parliamentary procedure and, as we learned unofficially, the current Government has even returned the draft for re-examination.

In all likelihood, for a long time to come the non-governmental sector in RS and B&H will continue to depend on donors' funds, which is according to Mrs. Radovanovic, one of the reasons why NGOs are reluctant to specialise in the resolution of social problems. "Projects we usually deal with mostly depend on politics, but also fashions dictated by donors. For some time psychosocial projects were in fashion and at that time it was easiest to ensure donations for them so that everyone dealt with these projects. Then education was "in", after that trafficking and it seems that very soon projects for the establishment of peace and understanding in B&H will have the best rating", explains Mara Radovanovic.

In any case, irrespective of the fashion, for a long time to come the women's sector will remain donors' favourites for at least two reasons: first, because women's NGOs can adapt to most of programmes and second, because there are some powerful women's foundations among donors.

In other words, it is high time for powerful men to stop wondering ironically "What women want"? In near future they want, for example: tax reliefs for women entrepreneurs, change of the Family Law which would enable women to be truly in charge of their own as well as joint property, available soft-term loans and half of ministerial positions in the Government.

Milkica Milojevic

(AIM)