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

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

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

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’

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

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

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

LGBTI+ History Month has been observed since 1994, when history teacher Rodney Wilson from the United States launched an initiative to...

At a time when politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains largely a male-dominated arena, women who decide to step into this world face a...