Twenty women from Bosnia and Herzegovina who plan to run in elections, or who have previously run but were not elected, completed the first Council of Europe Academy for Women Candidates, a unique training programme designed to strengthen women’s participation in political life.
Through four modules, participants explored key aspects of political engagement, including understanding the electoral process and gender quotas, building authentic political narratives, strengthening media and public speaking skills, and responding to digital violence against women in politics.
The final module and certification ceremony took place on 18 April in Neum. It focused on online harassment and digital violence targeting women in politics. Through discussions with experts and parliamentarians, participants explored the gender-based challenges women often face in public life and learned practical ways to recognise and report online violence, preserve evidence and improve digital safety.
“One of the purposes of this event is to create strong networks for education and support, irrespective of political affiliation, to support equality and equal participation of women in politics,” said Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo, Vahagn Muradyan, opening the event.
During the panel discussion, participants also heard personal reflections from women active in politics and public life on resilience, visibility and institutional support.
Nađa Laković, Member of Montenegro Assembly and Chairperson of the Montenegrin delegation to PACE underlined the importance of confidence for women in politics, stressing that overcoming dismissive attitudes and stereotypes is itself a powerful message to other women entering public life.
Vanja Bjelica Prutina, member of Central Election Commission of BiH highlighted that women in political and public life are often not treated equally within the system, and that attacks targeting family and private life remain among the most difficult pressures women face in public engagement.
Liri Kopaçi-Di Michele, Head of the PACE Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division, recalled Council of Europe standards and stressed that women in politics should make their voices heard, challenge persistent stereotypes, and build strong networks of support and allies, noting that real change requires both strong standards and meaningful action.
In the evaluation session, participants emphasised that the Academy created a valuable and supportive space for exchanging experiences, strengthening practical skills and encouraging women to engage more actively and confidently in political and public life. They noted that attending the Academy and hearing direct experiences from women who had faced similar challenges helped them feel more confident, supported and prepared for political engagement.
“The most important thing is having someone say, ‘I went through this, this is how you can handle it’. Online sources are usually broad and speak in general terms. There is very little on real, direct experiences,” said one of the participants.
By strengthening skills, confidence and support networks, the Academy contributes to more inclusive political participation and greater involvement of women in democratic processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Academy for Women Candidates is organised as part of the Council of Europe project “Supporting transparency, inclusiveness and integrity of electoral practice and processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, funded through voluntary contributions under the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.
The video from the final module of the Academy is available here: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1B9P2EZrcF/
