Public debate with Ms Cecile Bühlmann

| erschienen auf Medica Zenica

Participation of women in public and political life

Cécile Bühlmann was born and raised in Switzerland. From 1970 to 2005 she was engaged in various functions in the field of inter-cultural education, among others as representative for intercultural education with the Department of Education of the Canton Lucerne and as lecturer for intercultural pedagogic at the Academy of Educational Science in Lucerne.Since 2005, Ms Bühlmann is Director of cfd, the Feminist Peace Organization, in Berne. Cfd is active in International Cooperation in areas of conflict and post-conflict around the Mediterranean Sea, focusing on women’s legal, political, economical and psychosocial empowerment. In Switzerland, cfd focuses on projects for migrant women and in political lobbying for gender-equality.

From 1995 to 2007, Ms Bühlmann was Vice-President of the Swiss Federal Commission against Racism, a group of experts mandated by the Federal Government to deal with all aspects of racism and discrimination occurring in Switzerland. From 1991 to 2005, she was a member of the National Council (Parliament) of Switzerland, whereby she acted as president of the parliamentary group of the Green Party for 12 years. Since the time she left the parliament, Ms Bühlmann is President of the foundation board of Greenpeace Switzerland.

On Wednesday, 10th of October, "Medica" Zenica organized a public debate with Ms. Cecile Bühlmann with the theme "Participation of women in public and political life" in hotel "Zenica". The debate was attended by Ms Cecilie Bühlmann, the director of cfd and the president of the Committee of the Greenpeace party in Switzerland, Ms Nina Hoessli, cfd projects coordinator for Southeast Europe, Ms Jadranka Miličević, the director of NGO "Cure" Sarajevo, Ms Sabiha Husić, the director of "Medica" Zenica, as well as women from political and public life of Zenica-Doboj Canton and associates of "Medica" Zenica. Ms Cecile presented experiences about gender equality, legislation and implementation of law, women's participation in politics at different levels of government in Switzerland, as well as women's involvement in political and NGO sector. She also emphasized that women get their right to vote in 1971, and that currently three ministerial posts, of existing seven, belong to women and those are the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Police and Justice and it is mentioned that women are more represented in politics than in economy, because economy places usually belong to men.

Ms Sabiha tried to inform present politicians and guests about undertaken activities of women from political parties and NGOs. She stressed the importance of working together on recognized problems, as well as at the harmonization of the Law on Gender equality with the Election law. Ms Sabiha also shared that the Law on Social protection and the Law on Protection from domestic violence should follow the needs of victims of violence, women and children, and that the Law on the protection of maternity should be resolved in both entities as well as at the state level. It was also mentioned how important is work on raising awareness of citizens about women being involved in public and political life with the focus on education of women voters and women from political life, who are presented on electoral lists, as well as leading of common campaigns, etc. After Ms Cecile and Ms Sabiha addressed, the discussion of participation of women in public and political life started.

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