On 17-18 March 2022, the Council of Europe, in close cooperation with the three Ministries of Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and their respective partners from entity and state levels, organised a Round Table (RT) on strengthening the capacities in the execution of criminal sanctions with aim to ensure a gender-responsive prison management.

The RT was attended by the Assistant Ministers of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation BiH and Republika Srpska for Execution of Criminal Sanctions, the BiH Assistant Minister of Security for Countering Terrorism, representatives of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, directors of the BiH State Prison and penitentiaries Zenica, East Sarajevo and Tuzla, as well as representatives of the BiH Islamic Community, Social Welfare Canters, Mental Health Protection Centers and members of the multidisciplinary prison teams.

The participants benefited immensely from presentations and discussions on the best practices regarding efficient gender-based prison management, the role of women in violent and extremist groups, gender perspectives and addressing gender stereotypes in prevention of violent extremism. They also improved their understanding on the role of the Islamic Community in BiH in the process of resocialisation and prevention of radicalisation, as well as experiences of the social services and mental health protection centers in providing of psychological support and assistance to women returnees from the conflict zones in Syria and Iraq. The discussions emphasised the importance of gender perspectives as a key precondition in development of efficient strategic policy framework related to prevention of prison radicalisation, fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and reintegration of former prisoners upon their release.

The meeting was organised under the project "Support to the penitentiary system towards sustainable rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners in Bosnia and Herzegovina", funded by the Council of Europe.