Korac Should Apologize to Bosnian Women

28 June 2006

Lidija Korac, sitting member of the B&H Central Election Commission, in her appearance in the �Korak� show on Hayat TV (June 27, 2006, 21:00 hours), allowed herself to say, among other misogynist statements, that �...not creating a family, should be seen as failure (for the women)�.

Korac should appologize, say CURE

Having in mind that Ms. Korac is a prominent public personality, whose messages in the media carry great weight, we warn her that this was a clear case of public promotion of discriminatory and sexist views on the role of women and her �primary task� in society.

Lamentably, the fact that such views were actually promoted by a women makes them even more painful. We suggest to Ms. Korac to immediately apologize to all women in Bosnia and Herzegovina that don�t fit her criteria of success and chose to never marry or bear children. Naturally, that doesn�t make them any less valuable or successful from the other women.

Also, we call upon the B&H authorities to take the latest recommendation issued by the UN CEDAW Committee on Education of State Officials in B&H in the subject of gender equality and women human rights. Together with the knowledge and acceptance of basic human rights and freedoms, it could contribute to cleansing of public discourse on our domestic media and political scene from the prejudice and stereotypes that are the basis of all discriminatory practices, especially discrimination of women.

In addition to CURE Foundation, this reaction expresses the views of many other B&H NGOs and individuals: Centar �Zena i drustvo�; Citizens Helsinki Committee Banja Luka; B&H Helsinki Committee of Human Rights; Medica � Zenica; B&H Women Association � Mostar; Referent Group Tuzla; �Buducnost� - Modrica; Global Rights; La Strada - Mostar; Women to Women - Sarajevo; Women of the B&H Constitutional Court; "Renaissance" women Association; Lamija Tanovic; Banja Luka Women Association; Zene sa Une Association - Bihac; Association of Women - Derventa; World Learning/STAR Network, BiH; UZ Maja, Kravica; UG Kljucki Biseri; Zenski Centar Trebinje.