Chair of the PABiH Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, Rejhana Dervišević, addressed the members of the Advisory Board Coordination Meeting of the PAM Women's Parliamentary Forum

Chair of the Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), Rejhana Dervišević, participated in the Advisory Board Coordination Meeting of the PAM Women's Parliamentary Forum, held within the framework of the PAM Parliamentary Economic Forum in Marrakech (Kingdom of Morocco).

In her address to participants of the meeting, Ms. Dervišević expressed her respect for the efforts of the PAM Women's Parliamentary Forum in addressing gender equality issues in the Mediterranean region. However, she also highlighted that, considering the four fundamental parameters of gender equality – women's education and health, and their participation in the economy and politics – the Mediterranean region has achieved negligible progress, particularly in the areas of the Middle East and North Africa.

Dervišević commended the activities of the PAM Women's Parliamentary Forum in promoting and strengthening the role of women in society, the economy, and politics, with a particular emphasis on the situation of women in conflict-affected areas. She stated that the fight for gender equality in society can be approached on two levels: at the conceptual level and through specific legal acts.

„At the conceptual level, advocates for gender equality nurture the ideal of a democratic and free society in which women and men have equal opportunities. This ideal represents the aspiration to create a world where no element in these relationships diminishes the freedom, dignity, and justice of those relationships. At the legal level, the state's obligation is to ensure that the rights and freedoms established by the constitution and laws are respected, in order to achieve the rule of law and social and gender equality," said Dervišević. She also warned of the difficulties in overcoming the disparity between the laws adopted in this area and their implementation.

At the end of her address, the Chair of the Delegation of PA BiH to PAM, Rejhana Dervišević, highlighted the need for women to contribute personally to the fight for their rights in society. "Everyone who invokes their rights must also examine their duties and responsibilities. Therefore, it is necessary to build awareness among women of their own responsibilities," concluded Dervišević in her speech at the Advisory Board Coordination Meeting of the PAM Women's Parliamentary Forum.

At the meeting, the strategic priorities of the PAM Women's Parliamentary Forum for the period up to 2026 were discussed, with a special focus on strengthening cooperation with economic organizations and experts. This aims to provide the Women's Parliamentary Forum with all the necessary tools to achieve complete economic empowerment and independence for women in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf regions. (end)