SARAJEVO, October 8 (FENA) – According to preliminary results from the recently concluded local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, out of the total number of elected municipal mayors, only four are female (three in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and one in the Republika Srpska). In other words, the percentage of elected female mayors in Bosnia and Herzegovina stands at a disheartening 2.8 percent, reported today the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Moreover, as they point out, Bosnia and Herzegovina significantly lags behind the European average of 18 percent for women in leadership roles within local communities, and the number of elected female mayors is declining over time.
While the number of female mayors in the EU has been steadily increasing—with a 13 percent rise in the last decade—the percentage of elected female mayors in Bosnia and Herzegovina has dropped by as much as 30 percent compared to the results of the 2020 local elections.
”The number of elected female municipal mayors after this year’s local elections could not have been higher, knowing that out of 385 candidates nominated by political parties for leadership positions in municipalities, only 29 (or 7.5 percent) were women,” the Agency for Gender Equality emphasizes.
This situation regarding the representation of elected female mayors in Bosnia and Herzegovina is particularly disappointing given the years of efforts by institutional mechanisms for gender equality and the non-governmental sector to increase women’s participation in public and political life, empower female candidates, collaborate with political parties and the media, and implement numerous public campaigns.
”Despite this, we must note that the awareness of political parties to invest in female candidates and the willingness of the electorate to trust women politicians remains low,” the statement adds.
These are facts that serve as a warning and obligate relevant social actors to more consistently and effectively implement the Gender Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina (2023 – 2027) and the proposed set of measures aimed at achieving gender-balanced representation in policymaking and decision-making at all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
”It is also important to note that greater participation of women in political life is essential not only for achieving gender equality in our society but also for the socio-economic prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Economic science has proven that countries with a higher degree of gender equality and inclusivity are also more successful economically in the long run,” the Agency for Gender Equality of BiH announced.
