The House of Peoples of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH will decide again on Tuesday on the issue of birth companions during childbirth. Or more precisely — it will decide whether women in the Federation of BiH will even be allowed a public debate on this issue.

Because what is currently before the delegates is not the final law. It is a DRAFT law — a phase whose purpose is precisely to open a public debate, to include experts, institutions and women who are directly affected by this issue. And that is exactly what has been tried to stop for months.

From the incorrect counting of votes in the House of Representatives, the rejection of the abbreviated procedure and the transfer of the law to the slower draft form, to the cancellation of House of Peoples sessions, the insistence on opinions that the Government and the Ministry of Health of the FBiH have not submitted since September 2025, to the removal of the item from the agenda before the debate and vote — birth companions during childbirth have become an example of how far the system can go to avoid facing the demands of women giving birth.

Of particular concern is the fact that the “waiting for an opinion” is still being used as an excuse, even though it has not been submitted for months despite the requests of the Parliament, the parliamentary committees and the Ombudsman, and despite the fact that it is precisely through the draft law that a public debate should be opened.

Today, there is no room for excuses. If the House of Peoples rejects even the draft law — that is, rejects the very possibility of a public debate — it will not only send a message to mothers.

It will send a message to all young families that their safety, dignity and basic rights are not a priority of this state. It will send a message to women that even minimal support during childbirth is not worth discussing. And it will send a message that in Bosnia and Herzegovina political interests and closed systems are protected more than women who give birth in this country.

The Baby Steps Association expects a transparent vote and accountability for the decisions that will be made on Tuesday.

Because citizens have the right to know who supports a public debate on the rights of mothers — and who is trying to prevent it.