Husić: Men in BiH are increasingly speaking out about sexual abuse during the aggression

Last year we worked with a group of men who survived sexual abuse. And, I think this is a new chapter that will now be opened in BiH, says Sabiha Husić, psychotherapist and Islamic theologian from Zenica, for the BH news agency Patria (NAP).

For almost 20 years, she has been strongly fighting for the protection of women and children who survived rapes and were victims of sexual violence during wartime suffering, and for her contribution to victims of sexual abuse, Husić received the "Woman of the World" award for 2014 last Wednesday at a ceremony held in New York, organized by the international organization "Women for Women International".

Earlier, this award was received by Hilary Clinton, Christiane Amanpour, the late Aloisea Inyumba, Honorata Kizende...

According to unofficial data, between 20,000 and 50,000 people were raped during the last aggression in BiH. However, people who have experienced sexual abuse have so far found it very difficult to speak out about it. First of all, says Husić, this is due to the lack of institutional support for victims.

Things have changed a lot in recent years, and victims are speaking out more openly about abuse, especially men. This, says Husić, could also lead to new court proceedings and the identification of perpetrators who have gone unpunished all these years.

This situation, explains Husić, has been greatly contributed to by this year's visit of former British Foreign Secretary William Hague and actress and director Angelina Jolie to Bosnia and Herzegovina, who gave unconditional support to the victims. The victims, she says, felt that they were not alone and that there were people who wanted to help them.

- We cannot say that all women who have survived sexual violence, and men who have increasingly started speaking out recently, have the opportunity to realize their rights - says Husić.

- Whether they will realize their rights still depends on which part of Bosnia and Herzegovina the victim lives in, and I must be honest that it often depends on the first and last name they carry. I want to believe that in the coming period, the political will will be stronger and that they will adequately respond to the needs of the survivors.

Survivors, says Husić, certainly have the strength to fight for their rights and for the truth, writes Patria.