At its last session, the Gender Equality Commission of the Assembly of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a conclusion giving full support to the initiatives of the Lara Foundation from Bijeljina, the Association of Active Women Gender from Brčko, and the Budućnost Association from Modriča, which request amendments to the Law on Health Care and the Law on Social Protection of the Brčko District, in order to improve the position of victims of sexual violence. These initiatives have been forwarded to the competent institutions, including the Department of Health and Other Services and the Sub-Department for Social Protection - Center for Social Work, for further procedure and adoption.

The initiatives are part of the project "Love is not violence! Better rights and position of victims of sexual violence and domestic violence", implemented by associations from three local communities, Bijeljina, Brčko and Modriča with the support of the PRAGG project. The project aims to systematically improve the legal and social position of victims of sexual violence, through a clear legal categorization as a special group of beneficiaries of health and social protection.

According to Nataša Kurtuma, project coordinator of the Lara Foundation, “The initiatives seek to recognize victims of sexual violence as a special category of beneficiaries of rights in the field of health and social protection. This will not represent an additional financial burden for the authorities, but will significantly facilitate access to rights for those who need it most.”

Statistical data from a study created by the Lara Foundation in 2021 confirm the alarming fact that as many as 38% of women in BiH have experienced some form of psychological, physical or sexual violence, while only 11.8% of rape victims have reported it to the competent institutions. Due to stigmatization and fear, many women do not report violence, and the health and social system currently does not recognize this vulnerable group as a special category, which makes it difficult for them to protect themselves and access help.

“The health sector is often the first line of support for victims of violence, but many women do not have health insurance and cannot exercise their right to health care,” emphasizes Gordana Vidović from the Budućnost Association. “Our goal is to provide adequate and legal institutional support to every victim through changes to the law.”

The adoption of the proposed amendments to the Law on Health Care and the Law on Social Protection in the Brčko District and the Republika Srpska would significantly contribute to the harmonization of domestic legislation with international standards, including the Istanbul Convention, and enable better protection of the rights of victims of sexual violence. The Lara Foundation, together with partner organizations, continues its activities aimed at legislative reform, but also at sensitizing the media and the wider public about the problem of sexual violence and the needs of victims.