Recognition of survivors of sexual violence remains uneven
By Rebecca Hawkins and Velma Saric
October 2, 2026
A permanent monument would give them all the recognition they deserve.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), 12 days of activism for peace are celebrated every year, starting with the International Day of Peace on September 21, and ending with the International Day of Nonviolence on October 2.
This time of year, we especially look back at how the country is recovering from the war and moving forward. This year, that look back should include one undeniable fact: more than thirty years after the end of the war, recognition for survivors of wartime sexual violence (CRSV) remains uneven. A permanent monument to all survivors, the first in BiH, would be a significant step in correcting this unevenness.
Significant progress has been made in the last three decades when it comes to survivors’ rights. Historic rulings by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) established that rape committed during wartime was, in fact, a crime against humanity. In the years that followed, BiH took additional steps. Survivors can now obtain the status of civilian victims of war or victims of wartime torture, which gives them access to monthly economic support and health care. Witness protection and psychological support for survivors who testify in court have also been significantly improved. These are achievements that deserve to be recognized.
However, recognition on paper does not always mean equal treatment in practice. Since these rights are exercised separately in the entities and cantons of Bosnia and Herzegovina, two survivors of the same crime may receive very different support, depending on where they live. Compensation is also uneven. Even when the perpetrator is convicted, the survivor may still be left without healthcare, psychological support or long-term economic assistance. What the court decides and what the survivor receives can be two very different things.
This year, the topic takes on a new dimension. More than three decades later, survivors are aging, their health needs are becoming more serious, and with each passing year, evidence and witnesses are disappearing. The support that BiH has built was intended for survivors navigating criminal proceedings. It was never built for survivors in their sixties, seventies and eighties, who need long-term health care, social support and psychological care that has little to do with the courtroom.
"Conversation and recognition are the only two things that can help us move from this negative point. Let's stop saying that everything is bad and start working on solutions and a better future," are the words of Hasije, who at the age of 18 survived sexual violence during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The same urgent need for action applies to children born from wartime sexual violence, who are now adults themselves. Their status has only recently begun to be recognized by BiH. In 2022, the Brčko District became the first place in Europe to legally recognize these children through the Law on Civilian Victims of War. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina followed suit in 2023, and by January 2024, their rights to healthcare, education, employment, and housing had come into effect.
This was one of the most significant developments in this field, raising issues of identity, privacy, stigma and access to rights, which institutions are still learning how to deal with without causing greater harm to their citizens. The fact that this group is now recognized owes much to the courage of a small number of individuals who refused to remain invisible. However, while legal frameworks for children of survivors exist in the Brčko District and the Federation, they do not exist in the Republika Srpska entity.
A national monument dedicated to survivors of wartime sexual violence would be a form of meaningful recognition that would not depend on where someone lives, which entity or canton is handling their case, or which court the proceedings were conducted in. It would simply say: this was done and this country remembers all of you, equally.
BiH experts have already described what such a memorial should look like: survivor-led, neutral and dignified, and not divided along ethnic or political lines. One already exists. “Petrified Survivors” is a global memorial created in collaboration with survivors from more than 30 countries, including survivors from BiH. Survivors from BiH chose the white rose as their symbol of resilience and hope, which is the result of a partnership between us and another Bosnian-Herzegovinian partner organization, “Kvinna til Kvinna”. “Petrified Survivors” shows what dignified survivor-led memorialization can look like in practice.
Memorialization is important because it does what a final verdict alone cannot. A verdict concludes a case. A memorial keeps the fact alive in public memory long after the courtroom is empty – for the survivors, for the children born from these crimes, and for a country still grappling with its own past. This could change the very understanding of what justice requires in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From a narrow focus on proving what was done to the broader question of what happens to survivors decades later, their health, economic security, aging, families, and privacy. A lasting memorial is part of that broader understanding of justice.
Bosnia and Herzegovina deserves a permanent monument, equally accessible regardless of entity or canton, which will not be erected as a symbolic gesture, but as part of the long-term support promised to the survivors. Twelve days dedicated to peace is not enough if thirty years later, there is still no place to stop and remember. It is time for Bosnia and Herzegovina to build that place.
