People tend to have stereotypes which is a generalised belief about a particular category of people and it is linked to an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. However, stereotyping can lead to racial prejudice when people emotionally react to the name of a group, ascribe characteristics to members of that group, and then evaluate those characteristics, that can then lead to discrimination.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Roma people are one of the groups which fall under this scenario. Having that in mind, the European Union and the Council of Europe have been supporting civil society organisations (CSO) through grants to implement initiatives that are focused on breaking stereotypes, stigmatisation and discrimination of marginalised groups.

CSO Akcija in partnership with the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina is implementing such a grant with the focus of the empowerment and inclusion of the Roma people, in particular Roma women and girls. Through their grant, the first solo exhibition of Selma Selman in Bosnia and Herzegovina, an artist from BiH whose inspirational work has acquired both national and international renown, reached a great public interest. The exhibition opened on 22 July in Sarajevo in the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it will last until 10 September.

Selma Selman’s work is considering the intersectionality between her being an immigrant, a woman and belonging to the Roma national minority. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Banja Luka at the Department of Painting, and then completed a master’s degree at Syracuse University in New York, in the United States, where she also taught art. Her work has been rewarded several times.

Her worldwide break on through to the side of empowered and sucessfull Roma women artist must be particularly praised as Roma women in Bosnia and Herzegovina mostly face at double discrimination, if not more.

This success is not only important for her as an individual, but she is a true role model for all women and young girls, especially those belonging to marginalised groups, that the success is possible even if it means going down a rocky path. Her success is likewise important for the society of Bosnia and Herzegovina in contributing to fight stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination against Roma people and in understanding that we are born all unique and equal and must have same opportunities and treatments in life.

The grant under which the exhibition is opened was awarded by the action "Promotion of diversity an equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina“, within the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.