As part of the project “Right to the Future”, funded by the European Union and implemented by CARE International Balkans with partners Women’s Association “Better Future” Tuzla and Foundation “Wings of Hope” Sarajevo, with the support of Aktion Deutschland Hilft, the results of educational interventions were presented.
By: S. K.
“Transformative Education: Empowering Marginalized Women and Girls for a Better Future” was the theme of the national roundtable held today in Tuzla.
The goal was to encourage dialogue among key stakeholders about the importance of education in combating gender-based violence, human trafficking, and early, child, and forced marriages.
As part of the “Right to the Future” project, funded by the European Union and implemented by CARE International Balkans with partners Women’s Association “Better Future” Tuzla and Foundation “Wings of Hope” Sarajevo, and supported by Aktion Deutschland Hilft, the results of educational interventions were presented.
These interventions primarily refer to significant steps in developing Program E as a tool for transformative education that empowers marginalized girls and boys for a better future, as well as peer education initiatives implemented in five local communities, particularly among the Roma population.
There was also discussion about the importance of strengthening cooperation between formal and non-formal education systems to improve access to key services for marginalized girls and their families.
A Problem That Affects the Entire Community
Sumka Bučan, Director of CARE International Balkans, emphasized that the project’s goal is to empower women, especially Roma women in five communities, and to support local decision-makers to ensure easier access to public services for women.
She highlighted the importance of Program E, which is part of youth programs aimed primarily at training peer educators who then conduct educational sessions in their communities.
“The ultimate and most important goal of the project is to prevent early marriages and violence, but the key is to keep young people in education and ensure a foundation for their future. Early marriages are not only a problem for those entering them — they affect the entire lives of young spouses and future generations. This is a transgenerational issue that impacts the entire community,” Bučan underlined.
Indira Bajramović, President of the Women’s Association “Better Future”, stated that education in marginalized communities has long been both a challenge and a priority.
“Unfortunately, when we speak about education in marginalized communities, we are also speaking about poverty and unemployment. We’re talking about efforts to get children off the streets — which is also part of the fight against human trafficking. Poverty is the main cause of child marriages,” said Bajramović.
She noted that local centers for social work, the police, and NGOs work tirelessly and that the results are truly impressive.
When it comes to education, especially of girls in higher grades of primary school, Bajramović said that thanks to dedicated work, many now finish secondary school or even university.
“That’s a huge step forward, not only for them but for the entire Roma community,” she added.
Bajramović also emphasized that child marriages do not occur only in Roma or rural communities.
“Customary law practices exist in other communities as well — and we should all be concerned about that,” she concluded.
Alarming Statistics
How education can serve as a tool for human rights protection and the fight against gender-based violence was one of the main questions during today’s session.
Participants agreed that one of the first steps must be education — not only for vulnerable children but also for parents, teachers, school psychologists, social workers, and the police.
A worrying statistic was mentioned from Tuzla Canton — that one girl can be sold several times within a single year.
It was also reported that in the first six months of this year, 41 victims of human trafficking were identified, 40 of whom were minors.
They require ongoing support — above all, psychological help, which is provided within the project by the Foundation “Wings of Hope” Sarajevo.
Strengthening Dialogue and Educational Tools
When it comes to concrete educational tools for empowerment, Sara Dereta emphasized Program E, aimed at teaching children to make healthy life decisions.
“We work with marginalized children who face discrimination from an early age. We teach them that education is much more than acquiring knowledge. It’s important to recognize unhealthy behavior and communication patterns early, to resist them, to learn about their rights, capabilities, and potential,” said Dereta.
Anesa Limo, speaking about her experience as a peer educator, said:
“My biggest task is active listening. We start from the basics — learning about violence, its consequences, how to recognize it, and how to respond. That’s the first step toward empowerment.”
During the discussion, it was highlighted that laws need to change, that young women should be included in mentorship programs, sanctions must be stronger, not only for human traffickers but also for families ignoring the law.
Citizens must be made aware of how they can help — through reporting and sharing information — while young people should be empowered to work for their peers.
“Peer educators are crucial; they ensure the success of projects like this. Young people learn best from their peers. We must continue cooperation with educational institutions — that’s the right way to support this process,” emphasized Bučan.
Conclusions: Problems and Solutions
In conclusion, participants agreed on a set of recommendations and next steps:
- Victims of human trafficking should not be treated as adults.
Through the Cantonal Ministry of Education, they should be exempted from paying for interrupted schooling. - Every primary school in Tuzla Canton should employ a social worker.
- Program E should be integrated into the education curriculum, either as a mandatory or elective subject.
- Work with parents must be intensified, as they are both part of the problem and part of the solution.
- Schools should remain open to cooperation with NGOs, which must act in a coordinated and high-quality manner.
- Institutions were reminded that every problem requires a systemic solution — once a problem is recognized and mechanisms to solve it exist, it becomes much smaller.
And that, ultimately, is the goal.
