RECOMMENDATION to the leaders of all police-security agencies to take measures that will result in more fair representation of men and women

The Institution on Human Rights Ombudsman of B&H  prepared Special Raport on the National and  Gender Structure of Employees in Police and Security Agencies in B&H, issued in April this year.

Analyzing the received gender data on employed in police and security agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they have found that in the most police and security agencies men are represented over 60%.

The Ombudsmen state that the Law on Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted in 2003. It regulates, promotes and protects gender equality, guarantees equal opportunities and equal treatment of all persons regardless of gender, public and private sphere of society, and regulates the protection against gender discrimination.

Men and women are equal and gender equality is guaranteed in all areas of society, including, but not limited to, education, economics, employment and labor, social and health care, sports, culture, public life and the media, regardless of marital and family conditions. Gender Equality exists when one sex is represented by at least 40%.

The analysis of the received data shows that in almost all police-security agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina the principle of gender equality was not respected.

It should be noted here that the Ombudsman has analyzed the representation of women in general in these structures, including other categories of employees, while the representation of policewomen in relation to the total number of police officers in all police agencies is far lower than the represented percentages which includes all women in the institutions.

Having in mind the results of the conducted research, in accordance with Article 32 of the Law of the Ombudsman of B&H, The Ombudsmen  gives the following RECOMMENDATION to the heads of all police and security agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Within its powers to take measures that will result in fairer representation of men and women in the structure of employees. 

You can view the full report here.