Empowering women? An assessment of international gender policies in Bosnia

Pupavac, Vanessa

Abstract

International policy-making promises to empower women in Bosnia through encouraging their participation in the political process, giving them voice in civil society and through providing enhanced opportunities for economic independence. This paper challenges these claims, suggesting that while a narrow echelon of young middle class urban professionals have benefited from international gender approaches, the prospects for ordinary Bosnian women have not. First, the paper considers international attempts to promote the political empowerment of women through quota mechanisms and support for women’s organisations operating in civil society. Secondly, the paper considers international policies intended to further the economic empowerment of women and how these relate to broader neo-liberal prescriptions for the post-war state. It concludes that international policies, in both the political and economic realms, contain fundamental limitations which look likely to frustrate the long-term advancement of women in Bosnia.

Citation

Pupavac, V. (2005). Empowering women? An assessment of international gender policies in Bosnia. International Peacekeeping, 12(3), https://doi.org/10.1080/13533310500074507

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2005
• Deposit Date: Jan 27, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 27, 2012
• Journal: International Peacekeeping
• Print ISSN: 1353-3312
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-906X
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 3
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13533310500074507
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1020536
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13533310500074507
• Additional Information: This is an electronic version of an article published in Pupavac, V., Empowering women? An assessment of international gender policies in Bosnia, International Peacekeeping, 12(3), 2005, 391-405. International Peacekeeping is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=1353-3312&volume=12&issue=3&spage=391