Gender equality as a path to empowerment for refugee women and survivors of sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina

TUZLA, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Jasna* was just 19 years old when war broke out in her home country of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. In fear for her life, she hid in the basement of a neighbour’s house, near the town of Zvornik, along with her two-year-old daughter, two sisters and parents-in-law. 

But the family was soon discovered and taken by force to a nearby detention camp in Karaka. There, she was subjected to relentless abuse, including brutal sexual violence. 

In conflicts across the globe, sexual violence – including rape, abuse, coercion and trafficking – is increasingly being wielded as a weapon to terrorize women and girls, often leading to devastating physical and psychological trauma. 

An estimated 20,000 women and men were raped or abused during the 1992-1995 conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina – although given the fear of reporting and other stigmas that prevent many from reporting such crimes, the true numbers are thought to be much higher. 

After ten days, Jasna and her family were released and escaped on foot over the mountains to Croatia. Her husband was working there, so she and her daughter joined him before seeking asylum in Germany. After the war ended, the family moved back to their homeland, living in a barn near the city of Tuzla. But faced with severe poverty, unemployment and hardship, Jasna’s husband became increasingly ill-tempered, and soon turned violent.

‘Power of women’

Just under half of all women in Bosnia and Herzegovina report experiencing some form of abuse – including intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual harassment – since age 15, according to a 2019 survey. 

As Jasna struggled with the mental and physical fallout of her past and current trauma, during a visit to a UNFPA-supported maternal health centre she was referred to Snaga Žene, an NGO that provides psychological, social, medical, educational and legal assistance to refugee women and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Snaga Žene means ‘power of women’ – and Jasna, now 52, recalls the moment she first walked in as a crossroads from survival to empowerment.

The centre gave her access to a greenhouse to cultivate vegetables, where she grew peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines. Working with her hands and connecting with nature, Jasna found a source of solace and healing. And soon she started selling her crops, saving enough money to build a home for her family and begin a new chapter. The financial independence also had a transformative effect on her marriage: As she became more self-sufficient, the abuse gradually stopped. 

Working toward gender-equal societies

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNFPA data show that roughly half of working-age women are excluded from the labour market, devoid of income to support either themselves or their families. More than 500,000 unemployed women need critical support and training to help them earn a living and care for their children.

Alongside vegetable gardening, Emina grew medicinal herbs for an occupational therapy project. These herbs are dried and used to make tea, providing another source of income for Emina and her community.

“We educate ourselves about each plant we grow. We know their uses and how to protect them,” Jasna explained. “It’s not just about the money – it’s about knowledge and the sense of purpose it gives us.”

Encouraging emotional support

This economic empowerment has had far-reaching benefits for Jasna and the other women in her community. They now support each other through psychotherapy and group work, and many women who have experienced similar traumas, including sexual abuse, have received greenhouses of their own to rebuild their lives and their resilience. 

Jasna's daughter also works alongside her, one of a community of second generation survivors who now have the tools and resources they need to heal and thrive. 

Speaking on the International Day to Eliminate Sexual Violence in Conflict, UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem said, “The physical and psychological trauma damages individual lives and extends to entire families and communities, with impacts that reverberate across generations. Sexual violence is not the unavoidable collateral damage of conflict; it is an egregious violation of women’s rights and bodily autonomy.”

Demographic resilience and economic sustainability

Increasing access to opportunities and supporting women’s independence creates stronger families and fosters a more sustainable future for whole societies. For example, achieving greater gender equality within the workforce not only boosts national economic sustainability, it has been shown to help both young men and young women better realize their partnership and parenthood ambitions.

Jasna and her husband now share a happy marriage, a far cry from the years of physical and emotional torment she once endured. “I can hardly wait to get up in the morning and go to the greenhouse to see how my plants are growing,” she told UNFPA. “It brings me peace. I feel like I’m alive again.”

*Names changed for privacy and protection