Professional reflections on the right of victims of violence to be accompanied by a “Person of Trust” and the use of available community-based, non-institutional support resources such as the Mreža 4P were at the center of the Conference titled “Building Trust and Bridging Gaps: Advancing the Non-Institutional Response to Gender-Based Violence,” held in Sarajevo.
The messages delivered by the Chief Prosecutor of the Central Bosnia Canton Prosecutor’s Office, Šemsudin Fuška, clearly highlighted the importance of this model for institutional work and the protection of women.
Suzana Stanišić emphasized that current practice has shown that when the police recognize the role of the Person of Trust and use non-institutional support models for victims, better coordination and a safer response are achieved.
The Conference would not have been complete without representatives of the social protection system. The role of the Person of Trust further strengthens support — through understanding, continuity, and security for women throughout the process.
Osman Salkić, Director of the Public Institution Centre for Social Work Breza, and Selma El Haj Ahmad, representative of the Ministry of Labour, Social Policy and Refugees of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, confirmed how important it is for support to be accessible, connected, and focused on the needs of women.
The Conference does not mark the end of this work — we continue building solutions and strengthening the system where it is needed most. Together, institutions are building a system in which women are not left alone. We are building an approach that restores trust and provides real safety.
We thank all Conference participants and representatives of institutions from the sectors of social protection, healthcare, police, and judiciary.
The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
