We are witnesses to the ongoing marginalization of feminist political analyses within the mainstream social sciences and the growing opposition to gender studies in Europe and beyond. Accordingly, a series of significant events were meticulously organized, encompassing a panel discussion, an open lecture, and a seminar. These events were designed to achieve the visibility of feminist political science principles among academic scholars and researchers and to increase the potential for future activities in this area.
The program was opened with the public discussion on anti-gender mobilization in Bosnia and Herzegovina and South-east Europe. We discussed the development of anti-gender mobilization and what responses are needed by civil society and institutions, aiming not only at securing the existing level of women rights and rights of LGBTQIA+ people, but also further advancing on this agenda.
The second day started with the keynote lecture of Karen Celis, Research Professor from the Vrije University Brussels, on Feminist political science and the future of the political science discipline. Turning to the issue of feminism and/in political science she asked what that actually means, and what feminist political science might mean for the political science discipline as a whole. We continued with multiple panels, including on representation & mobilization against gender equality.
On third day we discussed on how we can mainstream gender equality into political science teaching and research. We also had a panel on gender equality public policy. The seminar ended with a workshop at which we have mapped follow up activities, all aimed at promoting feminist political science approaches in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region.
The seminar was organized in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Bosnia and Herzegovina, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Sarajevo and EU4 Inclusion. We are grateful to our guests: Karen Celis, Jelena Lončar, Katarina Lončarević, Roman Kuhar and Marjeta Šinko and co-ordinators from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Merima Ejubović, Alma Sukić, Adnan Kadribašić, Zlatiborka Popov Momčinović and Saša Gavrić.
