Blog | Tuzla Open Center

Women and Politics: The Experience of Selma Ćatibušić

In the political landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina, women remain underrepresented, and young women are almost invisible. That is why the stories of those who have had the courage to step into that space, to fight for their place and their voice, carry special weight. One of them is Selma Ćatibušić, a young activist and former councilor who has shown through her work that politics does not have to be a closed system, but a field where determination and empathy can turn into

ednasadikovic

Dec 18, 20255 min read

Queer Identity and Art as a Survival Strategy

Written by: Jovana Ivetić When identity is marginalized, art can become a way to articulate what doesn’t fit the mold, that is, what the system and society don’t acknowledge. But can it completely eliminate pain, shame, fear, and ecstasy? Is queer aesthetics measured in rainbow colors and abstract symbols; or is it the experience of a body that has learned to be viewed with suspicion, and now finally feels pride and courage? Works of art reflect a time period, context, and st

ednasadikovic

Dec 16, 20255 min read

Silence and Complicity: Women in Bosnian Politics Often Reinforce the Hetero-Patriarchal Order and Reproduce Discrimination

Political elites in Bosnia and Herzegovina — especially leaders of ethnonationalist parties at all levels of government — rarely advocate for LGBTI+ and women’s rights. More often, they remain passive in cases of violence and discrimination against these groups, and sometimes are the very architects of narratives that fuel such behavior. This is reflected in rhetoric that stigmatizes LGBTI+ people and women, in political initiatives that ban LGBTI+ content in public, in the l

ednasadikovic

Dec 12, 20256 min read

Research: Who Really Cares About Young People in TK?

The research before you was created as a response to the need for a deeper understanding of local youth policies in the area of Tuzla Canton. At a time when conversations about young people leaving the country and their dissatisfaction are frequent, it seemed especially important to objectively assess what municipalities and cities are actually doing to meet the obligations set out by the Youth Law of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this context, the research cov

Alija Osmić

Dec 9, 20252 min read

Women and Politics: a Conversation with Lejla

Through the Political Activism Academy, organized by the Tuzla Open Center, many young women and LGBTI+ individuals experienced for the first time that politics doesn’t have to be distant, dull, or reserved for those “at the top.” One of them is Lejla, a young person from a small town in the Tuzla Canton, who, after taking part in the Academy, began to see politics from an entirely new perspective. “During the Academy, I realized that politics isn’t a space for ‘other people’

ednasadikovic

Nov 29, 20254 min read

Voices of the Political Activism Academy

In October 2025, Tuzla Open Center opened the doors of the Academy of Political Activism, a space where curiosity, experience, and the desire for change come together. Over three days, from October 22 to 24, women and LGBTI+ people from across Tuzla Canton gathered with one common goal: to learn how to be active in their communities, how to initiate change, and how to make their voices heard. The Academy, dedicated to the theme “Women in Politics,” was much more than an educa

ednasadikovic

Nov 26, 20254 min read

TERF and Scapegoating: An Unsuccessful Pact with the Devil

November is marked by the struggle for the rights and visibility of TGNCI (trans, intersex, and gender non-conforming) people. Although the term “transgender” only entered the vocabulary of LGBTI+ activism in the 1960s, traditions that deviate from gender binarism and the patriarchal understanding of gender roles as inseparably tied to sex assigned at birth have been recorded throughout every era of human history. Unfortunately, the history of transphobia reaches just as far

ednasadikovic

Nov 20, 20257 min read

Representatives Without Space

In a country where politics is still widely seen as a “man’s job,” women and LGBTI+ people in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain in the shadows — present, but rarely empowered to decide. Although gender quotas have been in place for more than a decade, their purpose is often exhausted in formality. The numbers exist, but behind them stands a system that gives women and people of diverse identities not power, but the illusion of equality. Between Law and Practice Bosnia and Herzego

ednasadikovic

Nov 4, 20256 min read

Invisible in the Public Sphere: LGBTI+ Identities and Politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In a society where political power is often based on visibility, LGBTI+ people in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain invisible. Although they are part of society, communities, activism, and even political structures, almost no one who is publicly engaged in politics is openly out. This invisibility is not accidental but the result of deeply rooted fears, prejudices, and systemic barriers. Between Law and Reality Bosnia and Herzegovina has legal mechanisms intended to protect LGBTI

ednasadikovic

Oct 25, 20255 min read