Izetbegović's support for women in SDA is verbal, concrete support goes to a successful manager with good connections

The president of SDA, Bakir Izetbegović, applies double standards when it comes to supporting women in politics.

Verbally, he advocates as he did a few days ago at the gathering of the SDA Women's Association held in Sarajevo, saying that he „tries to ensure that women in SDA have their place.“ In concrete terms, he does this exclusively when it comes to his wife, writes the Patria news agency.  

It is true that on the lists for municipal and city councils there are 40 percent women, but such a thing had to be done because representation is clearly defined by the Election Law of BiH. If the law had not prescribed it, it would be difficult for 40 percent of women to now be fighting for council positions. 

Along with presenting the results achieved by the SDA-led government in the last two years, Izetbegović emphasized the importance of the role of women in the party, as well as in the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- They were better positioned at the beginning, when it was necessary to break the ice, and then in that somewhat male struggle they lost positions. I try, where I am directly asked, to improve these things. I nominated one woman for the Personnel Commission, and another for the deputy president of the Party Council. And I will continue to do so, said Izetbegović.

He said that after the elections "it is necessary to pay more attention to protecting what women are most interested in, and that is children and youth." Isn't this a direct message to women to stay away from politics?

In the Party Council, which has several committees for different segments, a negligible number of women sit, but he forgot to add that the president of the Health Committee is his wife, Dr. Sebija Izetbegović.

Presumably, he did not nominate her, because he did not mention her in his speech, but she nominated herself. At the gathering of the SDA Women's Association, she showed that she is highly regarded in the party, as she sat in the front row – to the right of the Association's president Senija Bubić, and to the left of Dr. Izetbegović.  

If we are to judge by what has been whispered for some time within the SDA itself, the Sarajevo Cantonal Committee will propose Dr. Izetbegović for a member of the party's Presidency. Again, she fought for her position on her own, the president of SDA did not help her.

And since he already „tries to ensure that women have their place in politics“, if we exclude his wife, who is advancing very quickly in the party hierarchy, why did the president of SDA not make an effort to have a woman among the 60 candidates for mayors?

This devastating fact was pointed out by state representative Senad Šepić after a meeting with Amra Babić, now an independent candidate for mayor of Visoko, until recently the only female mayor from the SDA. After she announced that she was an independent candidate in the upcoming elections, the SDA stated that Babić is no longer their member.

- Out of 60 candidates, there are 0 women. The SDA Collegium, chaired by President Izetbegović, has 12 members, all of whom are men. Of the 30 members of the SDA Presidency, which is also largely elected on the proposal of President Izetbegović, only two are women.

Of the 112 members of the current SDA Main Board, 12 are women, half of whom are ex officio. The Cabinet of the BiH Presidency Member from the Bosniak people, i.e., the cabinet of President Izetbegović, has 5 advisors – all men. So, again, not a single woman. For comparison, Čović's cabinet has 7 advisors, of which 3 are women, and the cabinet of Mladen Ivanić has 6 advisors, of which 4 are women, said Šepić.

Izetbegović's support for women, when all is analyzed, is only sincere, guaranteed, and one hundred percent when it comes to Dr. Sebija Izetbegović. A successful manager with good connections, as the president of SDA himself said, has his full support.  

It seems that the director of UKCS, who was previously the director of the General Hospital „Prim.dr. Abdulah Nakaš“ (she fought for these positions on her own!?) is the only woman in SDA worthy of the attention and support of the SDA president. 

Although there are extremely capable and politically more educated women in SDA, on the party pedestal, it is as clear as day, one and only is the „first lady among Bosniaks.“ Worth those 40 percent guaranteed by law.