Protests in Sarajevo and Banja Luka against femicide

(Patria) - "If women stop, everything stops" is the slogan under which a march was held today in Banja Luka in protest against the increasing frequency of femicide.

Protests were announced today in many cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, after Nermin Sulejmanović murdered Nizama Hećimović in Gradačac, and Denis and Džengis Ondur.

Just ten days later, last night, a man shot and killed a woman in Živinice.

In both cases, minor children were witnesses to the tragedy, and in both cases, the murderers committed suicide.

"The system has failed at all levels. We are all responsible and we must force them to do the job they are paid for at all levels," stated the Facebook page "Nisam tražila" (I didn't ask for it), which calls on everyone to raise their voice against femicide.

Women from Bosnia and Herzegovina were supported by women from Serbia and Croatia, who are also organizing peaceful protest marches today.

Gorica Ivić from Udružene žene Banja Luka (United Women Banja Luka) stated that the message of the protest march is that no more women should suffer.

"It is very important for the institutions of the system to act legally on all reports of violence. Femicide is a consequence of delayed reactions," she stated, adding that official institutions show an increase in reported cases of domestic violence, mostly femicides.

Dragana Miljković, a social worker at the Safe House, says she experiences the recent events as sad and tragic.

"Everyone has failed, starting with the institutions that have failed. We now have unrest among women victims in Banja Luka who are calling and are afraid because they feel unprotected," warned Miljković.

Women also came out today to raise their voices in Sarajevo.