The Ombudsman for human rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina, mr.sci. Jasminka Dzumhur, in the Regional Office of the Ombudsman institution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo held a meeting with representatives of the Center of Legal Assistance for Women from Zenica, with whom she discussed the status of women in BiH society, as well as cases of discrimination.
During the meeting a special attention was drawn to the need for stronger action to ensure the enjoyment of rights arising from pension and disability insurance for extramarital partners with regard to the current regulations that do not provide this possibility although under the provisions of Family law extramarital community is as equal to marriage.
Representatives of the Center in particular pointed to the discriminatory provisions of the Law on Social Protection of Central Bosnia Canton, by which rights to social benefits are recognized only for men as heads of households. In an interview on this topic, Ombudsman Dzumhur met the representatives of the Center on the activities that Ombudsmen of Bosnia and Herzegovina have already taken in order to eliminate these discriminatory phenomena.
The meeting ended with the conclusion that it is important to strengthen the cooperation of ombudsmen with civil society, as well as the organization of these meetings in order to exchange information, as part of the consultative process, should be an integral part of everyday activities.
Text taken from the official website of the Institution of Ombudsman for Human Rights BiH..