Women In Bosnia Research Articles

Effects of Perceived Gender Roles on Female Poverty, the Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

This research examines the position of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in relation to their participation in the labor market, average income differences between men and women and causes that affect their situation in respect to social norms and perceived gender roles. Through identifying how harmful practices perpetuated by social norms contribute to increasing inequality that widens the poverty gender gap, the research discovers a high percentage of working-age women being outside the labor market, a higher unemployment rate among women, and gender disparity in occupations and positions in BiH. By surveying the perception of prevalent social norms, particularly those connected to roles the society ‘assigns’ to women and men, the study identifies linkages between the roles and the position of women in the labor market and decision-making. The special focus is on multidimensional aspects of poverty, particularly in cases of limited access to jobs, education, and public services.

Blaming Muslim Women

Through the concept of intersectionality, this paper examines the marginalisation, exclusion and disciplining by dominant institutions and systems, of Muslim women in Bosnia and Herzegovina who wish to wear the headscarf in the country’s public service. It contributes to the conceptualisation of a larger situational framework that captures the complex positions and lived experiences of Bosniak Muslim women, through the case of Emela Mujanović Kapidžija of the Armed Forces of Bosna and Herzegovina. Mujanović Kapidžija’s repeated requests to wear the headscarf while in uniform triggered reactions that revealed the underlying Islamophobic and sexist culture that has long dominated the country’s social, political, legal and psychological spheres.

Gender-Based Violence in Bosnia From Conflict to The Post-Conflict Setting

This review article aims to investigate gender-based violence in wartime and post-war Bosnia. While the existing literature exclusively focuses on the relationship between gender and nationalism, this article rather addresses the psychological and economic violence against women in Bosnia. By adopting a continuum approach, this study uncovers how different forms of violence against women interact with each other from the conflict to the post-conflict contexts. Through a literature survey, this study depicts how gender-based violence has been reproduced from past to present in the case of Bosnia. In discussing gender-based violence, it dwells upon the intersections between mass rapes, forced pregnancy and traumatization. As the main argument, this article contends that sexual violence during the war triggered the spiral of violence and further led to stigmatization and marginalization of these women in the post-war context. It is especially argued that the persistent public stigma is the most blatant manifestation of psychological violence against female rape victims. In addition, it is shown that the overlapping processes of conflict, patriarchy and neoliberalization have led to a series of economic injustices, such as, in the form of the dispossession, poverty and exclusion of women in Bosnia. This article overall suggests establishing linkages between sexual, psychological and economic violence against women during the conflict and post-conflict processes.

Determinants of Fertility Intentions of the Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina-An Example from the Semberija Region.

The aim of this paper was to analyze the socio-demographic determinants of fertility in Bosnia and Herzegovina that affect the number of live births in Semberija. The paper focuses on work and educational statuses, economic crisis and unemployment, and other relevant factors that affect desired family sizes and lead to negative demographic trends. The relevant data were collected through a survey questionnaire filled by a verified sample of 1000 women in their reproductive period (aged 15-49). In order to evaluate the role of each research variable in predicting fertility intentions, the arithmetic mean, frequency of responses in percentage, Pearson's coefficient, and a logistic regression model were used to explore the related factors of fertility behaviors among women in this population. The results showed that employment status, poor housing conditions, and financial support from the state statistically significantly impact future birth trends. Those socio-demographic factors affect desired family sizes and have proven essential to future fertile behavior.

Pomiędzy Wschodem a Zachodem. Muzułmańscy intelektualiści w pogoni za modelem emancypowanej muzułmanki na początku XX wieku

Between East and West: Muslim intellectuals in Search of a Model for the Muslim womenʼs emancipation in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the beginning of the 20th century After introduction of the Austro-Hungarian rule to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, Bosnian Muslims became very concerned about preserving their Islamic identity under the rule of Christians. They were particularly disturbed by the modernization processes which have changed the social practices of the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of which was the entering of Muslim female children into the secular education system and public sphere. This paper deals with the way that the Muslim intellectual circles viewed the emancipation of Muslim women: respectively, how they – to a certain extent – accepted European influences and how they supplemented them with Ottoman practices, having in mind that the modernization process was also evident in the Ottoman society, especially in the second half of the 19th century. The article analyzes the views of the leading Muslim intellectuals on the models for the emancipation of Muslim women in Bosnia and Herzegovina presented in Muslim journals at the beginning of the 20th century.

Women Activists and Women Parliamentarians as Actors of the Political Representation of Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina: What Claims, with what Successes?

Women Activists and Women Parliamentarians as Actors of the Political Representation of Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina: What Claims, with what Successes?

The influence of body mass index and smoking on the age of onset of menopause in women in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a cross-sectional multicentric study.

IntroductionMenopause is the last physiological menstrual period and is a complex process involving the following: endocrine, genitourinary, cardiovascular, and locomotor system, and it leads to vasomotor symptoms and psychological complaints. This study aims to investigate the influence of smoking and body mass index (BMI) as risk factors on the age of onset of menopause in women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Material and methodsThis study included 460 women in natural menopause. The study was conducted in 2 phases: interview and measurement of BMI. Each patient underwent an interview based on the questionnaire, following the verbal consent of the patient, who had previously been explained the nature of the research.ResultsThe age at which menopause occurs increases with the BMI increase, and it can be described by the regression equation: age = 0.096 × BMI + 45.7, which has statistical significance. The mean age of menopause occurrence in current smokers was lower (47.5 ±0.4 years) than in non-smokers (48.8 ±0.2 years) (p = 0.010).ConclusionsOur study confirmed the statistically significant correlation between smoking, BMI, and age of onset of menopause.

Predominant HPV Types From Cervical Swabs Determined by Molecular DNA Testing in a Period From 2018-2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Background:Human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted infection and it is estimated that 75% of all women have been exposed to HPV infection in a certain period of life. High-risk types of HPV are considered to be one of the major causes of cervical cancer and its precursor intraepithelial neoplasia.Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of HPV infections and to provide more data on HPV genotype distribution among women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H).Methods:Number of 375 samples were collected from different polyclinics in Sarajevo and were analyzed by Alea Genetic Center using Genomed f-HPV typing™ multiplex Fluorescent PCR kit for human papillomavirus genotyping. DNA required for this method is extracted from cervical swabs and amplified using a multiplex PCR reaction containing a set of 16 fluorescently labeled primers that recognize 16 HPV types. 14 HPV types are classified as high-risk (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68) and two are low-risk (6 and 11) HPV types.Results:Results showed that in the years 2018, 2019, and 2021, HPV type 16 is predominant causing the high-risk factor for CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, and cervical cancer development. HPV 18 infection rates decreased during the last four years of study. HPV 6 infection rates increased during that period of time.Conclusion:HPV 16 and HPV 18 are almost completely preventable by vaccination implying that the number of diagnosed cervical cancers in B&H could be much lower in the next decades if the HPV vaccination routine immunization program starts soon.

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE ACHIVEMENTS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

<jats:p>The paper analyzes gender differences in the length of study and average grade between the number of enrolled and graduated students at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Banjaluka, during the period from 1996 to 2015. It was concluded that women, in civil engineering studies, are just as successful as men. However, it is noticeable that women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, enroll much less in engineering studies. Engineering studies need to be more popularized among women. The results of the analysis are presented using the SPSS statistical analysis software package.</jats:p>

Portrayals of Women on Ethno-Nationalist and Radical Islamic Websites in Bosnia And Herzegovina

This article presents an original analysis of portrayals of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on websites with radical and extremist content. We analyze and discuss key online narratives about women and their societal roles from 100 sampled online articles published on ten websites that primarily propagate right-wing, nationalist and Salafist thinking. The article shows that while Salafist websites focus on didactic material about how women are expected to act (selectively using the Quran and hadiths), radical ethno-nationalist and right-wing articles directly accuse liberal-thinking women and feminists of immorality, perversity, and shameful behavior. While studied articles on Islamic websites confine women’s roles to family caretakers and to wives, selected ethno-nationalist articles present women in relation to their national belonging and war victimization. We conclude that the studied websites essentialize women’s societal functions, predominantly placing their roles and identities in the private sphere while linking womanhood to collective national and/or religious identity. Although the selected platforms represent different manifestations of extremisms, they share many similarities.

Media reporting on violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This paper aims to present research findings on the reporting of two print media in Bosnia and Herzegovina on violence against women. Qualitative-quantitative analysis of the content of the two daily papers Nezavisne novine and Dnevni avaz during February 2019 was used to analyze the responsibility of the media in reporting on violence against women. The aim of the research was twofold: to examine the compliance of journalistic practice with the codes and laws of ethical conduct of media professionals and to examine whether the media emphasize violence against women in the family and community as a personal or as a social problem. The results of the quantitative analysis show a larger number of articles on violence against women in the community, while family violence against women remains in the personal domain, although it is most prevalent in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results of the qualitative analysis indicate that the media do not deal with violence from an analytical point of view. Instead, the media deal with the reckless and unethical stereotyping of the female victim, as well as the situational portrayal of violence against women, i.e. only after the violent act. The research findings confirm the findings of much more extensive and comprehensive studies conducted so far in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which indicate that the expansion of sensationalist reporting on violence against women is becoming a skillfully used tool to justify male aggression, filling the black chronicle and attracting attention, which produces a kind of effect of audience resilience on violence.

Economic activity of women and young women in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the umbrella of traditional views of women’s role in society

Female labour force participation (FLFP) stands among main gender equality issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Although making up about half of the total working-age population, less than one third of women is active. High female economic inactivity is argued to relate to the pertaining traditional views on gender roles in the society. This article investigates whether such views impact the activity of women. Furthermore, the article investigates whether perceptions of the existence of gender stereotypes on the labour market influences women’s economic activity. Finally, the article investigates whether differences of such an impact exist between young and adult women and how they are being manifested. The research model is based on a log-log regression analysis performed on a sample of 1,213 interviewed women through the 2017 wave of the National Survey of Citizens’ Perceptions (NSCP-BiH). Our findings indicate that traditional views on women’s role in society act as an important moderator of woman’s economic activity, and hence, shape the overall labour environment and economic development in BiH. Although perceiving that the BiH labour market is biased towards men, women in BiH are not discouraged by such a stance when their labour market participation is considered.

Perikoncepcijska primena folne kiseline kod trudnica u Bosni i Hercegovini - studija preseka

Folic acid (FA) supplementation is recommended for all women of childbearing age and pregnant women. Still, women's adherence to these recommendations is often low. This crosssectional survey aimed to assess FA supplementation among pregnant women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) since no such data exist to date. Data were collected by a voluntary, anonymous, self-administered internet-based questionnaire. The inclusion criteria were current pregnancy, BiH origin, and BiH residence for at least the past 5 years. The vast majority (82.1%) of women reported inadequate periconceptional FA supplementation, and only 26.9% reported supplementation during the critical period for neural tube closure. The use of a high dose (≥5 mg/day) FA beyond the first trimester was reported by 9.0% of women. Women's age was significantly associated with adequate folic acid use for the prevention of neural tube defects (OR=1.207, p<0.05). The periconceptional FA supplementation in the studied population is suboptimal. These preliminary data call for action, especially because BiH is a lower-middleincome country without mandatory FA food fortification program. Further research on folate dietary intake and folate status in the target group, as well as possible predictors of the low prevalence of supplementation, is recommended.

Handgrip Strength Cut-Off Values for the Undernutrition Risk Screening among Elderly Men and Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Objectives To determine the optimal cut-off points of handgrip strength (HGS) to identify the undernutrition risk among individuals older than 65 years of age in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Towns of Sarajevo, Foca, Rogatica, and Pale in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants 300 community-dwelling older adults and 146 nursing home residents. Comprehensive Geriatric multidimensional assessment (CGA) was carried out to evaluate general health, functional, and cognitive capabilities. Nutritional status and undernutrition risk were assessed by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Seniors in the Community: risk evaluation for eating and nutrition, version II (SCREEN II). HGS was measured with a Smedley dynamometer. Results According to the classification of nutritional status by MNA, 42% of community-dwelling men and 39% of community-dwelling women were at undernutrition risk. The undernutrition risk was significantly higher among nursing home residing men (89%) and women (78%) (p < 0.001). When nutritional status was assessed by SCREEN II, 100% on nursing home residents, 86% of community-dwelling men and 80% of women were identified as having a high risk for undernutrition. Per MNA, HGS cut-off thresholds were 23.50 kgF (65–74 years) and 19.50 kgF (≥75 years) for men; 15.50 kgF (65–74 years) and 13.50 kgF (≥75 years) for women. Per SCREEN II, cut-points were 28.50 kgF (65–74 years) and 24.50 kgF (≥75 years) for men; 24.50 kgF (65–74 years), 19.50 kgF (≥75 years for women). Conclusion HGS can be a useful instrument to identify undernutrition risk among the elderly patients. This study provides threshold for men and women older than 65 years of age in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Mother, the Wife, the Entrepreneur? Women’s Agency and Microfinance in a Disappearing Post-Conflict Welfare State Context

ABSTRACT This article highlights the political consequences of financial measures in post-conflict economy formation processes. It focuses on how microfinance for women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even when considered successful, affects women’s agency, what forms of female subjectivities emerge and what forms become excluded or reinforced as a result. Juxtaposing the two goals of microfinance for women – improved family welfare and gender equality – and the consequences, it shows how neoliberal discourses on female economic empowerment through microfinance in the context of a disappearing welfare state may enable limited individual agency within the household, while circumscribing women’s agency in the public domain.

Lost–Regained–Revised: Laura Papo Bohoreta, Sephardic Women in Bosnia, and Transcultural Survival Strategies in Memory

This paper specifies and describes the main four stages and strategies of intercultural and memory survival of Sephardic women in Bosnia in the past (during the interwar period) and in the contemporary world (before, during, and after the collapse of Yugoslavia). The first strategy, named here as a (manu)script and orality/textuality one, is illustrated by a study Sephardic Woman in Bosnia (1932) by Jewish Sarajevo feminist Laura Papo Bohoreta (1891–1942). The second one, labeled as a translation and print strategy, is connected with the activity of Muhamed Nezirović (1934–2008), especially his translation of Papo’s book from Ladino into Bosnian (2005). The third one, recognized here as a cultural transfer strategy, is represented by the novels The Scent of Rain in the Balkans (1986) and The Ballad of Bohoreta (2006) by contemporary Serbian female writer Gordana Kuić (1942). And—last but not least—the fourth strategy of digitizing manuscripts and archival texts by Laura Papo is represented by Edina Spahić, Cecilia Prenz Kopušar, and Sejdalija Gušić, a team who prepared and has recently edited three collected books with Papo’s manuscripts (2015–2017).

Does the Hijab Increase Representatives’ Perceptions of Social Distance?

We explore whether the hijab affects politicians’ views of citizens. To better isolate the effect of religious attire, we focus on a context in Europe where Muslims are not foreigners—Bosnia. We presented local politicians (N = 1,389) with a group photo of ordinary men and women in Bosnia. Respondents were randomized to view a photo where some (treatment) or none (control) of the women were wearing the hijab. We find that the hijab effect differs for Muslims and non-Muslims. For Muslim politicians, wearing the hijab does not affect their belief that they can represent their constituents well. However, for these politicians, the hijab appears to signal demand for more ethnicity-based representation. For non-Muslim politicians, however, religious attire creates social distance toward their hijab-wearing constituents. This effect does not emerge because local elites think Hijabis themselves feel social distance toward these elites.

Potential coverage of circulating HPV types by current and developing vaccines in a group of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina with abnormal Pap smears.

The objectives of this study were to identify human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes in a group of Bosnian-Herzegovinian women with abnormal cytology and to assess their potential coverage by vaccines. HPVs were identified by multiplex real-time PCR test (HPV High Risk Typing Real-TM; Sacace Biotechnologies, Italy) of 105 women with an abnormal cervical Pap smear and positive high-risk (HR) HPV DNA screening test. The most common genotypes in the study were HPV-16 (32·6%, 48/147), HPV-31 (14·3%, 21/147), HPV-51 (9·5%, 14/147) and HPV-18 (7·5%, 11/147). The overall frequency of HR HPV-16 and/or HPV-18, covered by currently available vaccines [Gardasil® (Merck & Co., USA) and Cervarix®; (GlaxoSmithKline, UK)] was lower than the overall frequency of other HPVs detected in the study (40·1%, 59/174, P = 0·017). Group prevalence of HR HPVs targeted by a nine-valent vaccine in development (code-named V503) was higher than total frequency of other HPVs detected (68·0%, 100/147, P < 0·001). Development of cervical cytological abnormalities was independent of the presence of multiple infections (χ 2 = 0·598, P = 0·741). Compared to other HPVs, dependence of cervical diagnosis and HPV-16, -18 (P = 0·008) and HPV-16, -18, -31 (P = 0·008) infections were observed. Vaccines targeting HR HPV-16, -18 and -31 might be an important tool in the prevention of cervical disease in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Daughters of Two Empires: Muslim Women and Public Writing in Habsburg Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878–1918)

This article focuses on the public writings of Muslim women in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Habsburg period. From the beginning of the twentieth century, several Muslim women, mainly schoolgirls and teachers at Sarajevo's Muslim Female School, started for the first time to write for Bosnian literary journals, using the Serbo-Croatian language written in Latin or Cyrillic scripts. Before the beginning of World War I, a dozen Muslim women explored different literary genres—the poem, novel, and social commentary essay. In the context of the expectations of a growing Muslim intelligentsia educated in Habsburg schools and of the anxieties of the vast majority of the Muslim population, Muslim women contested late Ottoman gender norms and explored, albeit timidly, new forms of sisterhood, thus making an original contribution to the construction of a Bosnian, post-Ottoman public sphere.

Association of Mannose-Binding Lectin 2 (mbl2) gene heterogeneity and its serum concentration with osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

The aim of the study was to detect prevalence of MBL2 exon 1 (codons 52, 54 and 57) genetic polymorphism in postmenopausal women in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its possible role as genetic risk factor for susceptibility to occurrence of osteoporosis in this study group. Also, we investigated association between MBL serum concentrations and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Genetic codons' variations were determined by PCR-RFLP and MBL in serum was measured by ELISA method in 75 postmenopausal women (37 with osteoporosis and 38 apparently healthy, non-osteoporotic women serving as a control). Serum MBL levels were not significantly different between osteoporosis and control group (492 (37-565.1) and 522.6 (477-559.4) ng/mL respectively, p=0.206). Genotype frequencies were not significantly different (p=0.997) between the studied groups of postmenopausal women. Genotype frequencies A/A, A/0 and 0/0 in osteoporosis group were 0.576; 0.405; 0.018 and in control group 0.562; 0.412; 0.026, respectively. Frequencies of A and 0 allele were 0.78 and 0.22 in osteoporosis and 0.77 and 0.23 in control group. The results do not suggest association of functional polymorphism of MBL2 gene and MBL serum concentration with osteoporosis in postmenopausal females.