The project aims to strengthen the capacity of authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to apply a consent-based definition of sexual violence, effectively address technology-facilitated abuse, and provide comprehensive protection for victims.

It also supports relevant institutions in using their enhanced knowledge and capacities on sexual and digital violence to align policies, legislation, and coordination mechanisms, ensuring a more effective, rights-based prevention and response across the country.

The action aims to ensure that victims of digital and sexual violence enjoy their rights in law and practice in line with Council of Europe standards, specifically the Istanbul Convention and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.

This will be done by helping the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina align legislation, policies and practices on digital and sexual violence with these standards.

How does the action work?

The project delivers a combination of training, tools and coordination to strengthen the prevention of and response to sexual and technology-facilitated violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Legal professionals benefit from the adapted HELP course on digital violence against women, while training curricula on sexual and digital violence are made available through the Centres for Judicial and Prosecutorial Education in both entities. A pool of trained legal professionals is established to ensure ongoing expertise across the country.

Capacity-building programmes are provided to law enforcement, the judiciary, support service providers, and law students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to prevent and respond effectively to cases of sexual and technology-facilitated violence. At the same time, authorities develop and adopt institutional protocols and practical tools, including standard operating procedures, risk assessment instruments, and victim support guidelines, to ensure consistent and coordinated action.

The project also supports awareness-raising initiatives for practitioners and the public, implemented by selected NGOs, and provides a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue, enabling authorities, civil society, and other key actors to share experiences, coordinate policies, and improve collaborative responses to sexual and technology-facilitated violence.

 01 January 2026 - 31 December 2027

The total budget of the action is 950 000 EUR.

This project is implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026-2029 and funded through voluntary contributions.

The project is implemented by the Capacity Building and Co-operation Projects Unit of the Council of Europe's Gender Equality Division.

 Matthew FOSTER
Project Manager

together with the
Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo 

 Maja GRUJIĆ
Senior Project Officer

 Vildana SARAČEVIĆ
Project Assistant

 Analysis of cases of technology-facilitated violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina

 Collecting data on technology-facilitated violence against women: Challenges and ways forward

 Gap analysis of BiH’s legal, policy and institutional framework in regard to the definition of sexual violence and the digital dimension of violence against women in line with the CoE Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence

 Good practice Guidelines for the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence offences based on the lack of consent of the victim

 Emerging practices in the investigation and prosecution of digital violence against women

 Approaches taken in states parties to the Istanbul Convention on the criminalization and prosecution of sexual violence, including rape (Focus section from the 4th General Report on GREVIO activities)

 Promoting gender equality and combating gender-based violence and stereotypes as means of combating trafficking in human beings

 GREVIO General Recommendation No. 1 on the digital dimension of violence against women