UNSCR 1325 and gender equality norms in Bosnia Narratives of Support and Resistance

The paper examines the implementation of the United Nations' Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the localization of gender equality norms. Through focus group interviews, the authors identify two primary narrative responses: 'narratives of support' and 'narratives of resistance'. Support is articulated at the macro level, framing gender equality as a legacy of the socialist past, a marker of Western modernization, or a space for religious manoeuvrability. Conversely, resistance occurs at the meso and micro levels, driven by deep-rooted patriarchal traditions and ethno-nationalist divisions. The authors argue that effective implementation of UNSCR 1325 requires moving beyond state-centric policies to address these interpersonal and intrapersonal psychological barriers.

• Support for gender equality norms in Bosnia is often framed as a continuity of the socialist legacy from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, where women had established access to education, professional positions, and welfare arrangements.
• Some political actors use the implementation of the WPS agenda as a strategic tool to present Bosnia as a modernized, progressive European state, sometimes claiming higher female parliamentary representation than countries like France and Germany.
• Religious leaders in Bosnia, particularly within Islamic communities, have demonstrated a capacity for 'manoeuvrability' by reinterpreting religious texts to support women's participation and dignity, such as issuing a fatwa that war-raped women should be viewed as heroines rather than damaged goods.
• Resistance to gender equality is deeply rooted in a cross-ethnic 'mentality' of patriarchal traditions that dominate the private and domestic spheres, often overriding public policy goals.
• There is evidence of 're-traditionalisation' among Bosnian youth, who are described by some interviewees as holding more traditional views of family and gender than previous generations.
• Ethno-nationalist divisions and the legacy of the 1992-1995 war hinder the WPS agenda, as women's political significance is often reduced to their status as victims of ethno-nationalist harm, a phenomenon termed the 'protection-representation dilemma'.
• The authors conclude that while support for gender equality is articulated at the macro (political/institutional) level, resistance is situated at the meso (community) and micro (interpersonal/intrapersonal) levels.

APA

Doeland, E. M., & Skjelsbaek, I. (n.d.). UNSCR 1325 and gender equality norms in Bosnia Narratives of Support and Resistance. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ad5a3ca4-8e4f-4323-b237-2858f8f976ff/Narratives of support and resistance_Accepted.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Doeland, Elin Martine, and Inger Skjelsbaek. UNSCR 1325 and gender equality norms in Bosnia Narratives of Support and Resistance. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ad5a3ca4-8e4f-4323-b237-2858f8f976ff/Narratives of support and resistance_Accepted.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Doeland |first1=Elin Martine |last2=Skjelsbaek |first2=Inger |title=UNSCR 1325 and gender equality norms in Bosnia Narratives of Support and Resistance |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ad5a3ca4-8e4f-4323-b237-2858f8f976ff/Narratives of support and resistance_Accepted.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{doelandndunscr, author = {Doeland, Elin Martine and Skjelsbaek, Inger}, title = {{UNSCR 1325 and gender equality norms in Bosnia Narratives of Support and Resistance}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ad5a3ca4-8e4f-4323-b237-2858f8f976ff/Narratives of support and resistance_Accepted.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }