About the Project

The Atlantic Initiative has partnered with the Geneva Centre for the Democractic Control of Armed Forces, or DCAF, to conduct the Project for Gender and Judicial Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2012. The goal of the project is to increase the capacity of judges and prosecutors to effectively integrate gender issues into their procedures and practices, and to ensure non-discriminatory judicial services. The project also aims to strengthen the role of women in the judiciary, particularly at the decision-making level, and to ensure equal access to justice for women and men, girls and boys, across BiH.

As a part of this project, DCAF and the Atlantic Initiative are working to strengthen the role of the Association of Women Judges in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the ongoing facilitation of trainings and conferences, and the promotion of the Association among both national and international legal professionals. Additionally, the Centers for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska have cooperated in training activities focused on gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and gender mainstreaming. The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC) has also supported this project from its inception.

A particularly noteworthy and important outcome of this project is the publication in early 2014 of a Judicial Benchbook, Considerations for Domestic Violence Case Evalution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The result of the work of a panel of judges, guided by experts from DCAF and the Atlantic Initative, this Benchbook is a vital resource to judges in BiH, which can help to develop their understanding of domestic violence and increase their capacity to evaluate mitigating factors in a fair and balanced way.