Bosnia and Herzegovina strengthens its capacities for sustainable gender mainstreaming

Bosnia and Herzegovina is taking further steps to strengthen gender equality within its security sector. On 18 November 2025, a workshop held in Igman brought together 15 representatives of the Gender Equality Coordination Board of the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

Organised by SEESAC at the request of the Ministry of Security, the workshop aimed to enhance the capacities of the Gender Equality Coordination Board in integration of the gender perspective within the Ministry's mandate through the exchange of lessons learned and best practices in gender mainstreaming across small arms and light weapons (SALW) control in the Western Balkans. 

The workshop was designed to enhance participants' understanding and practical application of gender equality concepts and frameworks, with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina. It commenced with a refresher session to reinforce key gender equality principles and ensure a shared understanding among attendees, followed by a discussion on Bosnia and Herzegovina's legal and strategic frameworks for gender equality.  

A central part of the workshop focused on a case study showcasing the integration of a gender perspective into SALW control, drawing on experiences from Bosnia and Herzegovina that has made significant strides in incorporating a gender perspective into SALW control, which are evident in the SALW Control Strategy (2025–2030) and its accompanying action plan, both taking into account the comprehensive gender analysis. Building on these initiatives, the workshop provided a platform for participants to engage in a collaborative exercise to map preconditions for gender mainstreaming, identifying challenges and opportunities specific to their portfolios.  

The workshop concluded with a group exercise, in which participants developed actionable, step-by-step plans to advance gender equality within their work, presenting their ideas individually. 

The workshop was organised under the regional project 'Support for Enhancing the Fight Against the Illegal Possession, Misuse, and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans' funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II). Through this project, SEESAC is providing support to authorities in the Western Balkans to mainstream the gender perspective in the SALW control measures and, in particular, to prevent and combat the misuse of firearms in domestic violence.