(Un)doing Feminisms Their Own Way: The Activism of Marginalised Women’s Organisations in Local Communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

This article examines women’s activism and feminism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on marginalised women’s groups and organisations that are often excluded from academic research and international donor interests. The theoretical section presents the main characteristics of the development of women’s organisations in post-war BIH, addressing the problem of NGO-isation of activism and feminism, which marginalises groups of women and organisations that do not belong to prominent liberal feminist organisations that pursue gender mainstreaming. Qualitative research based on in-depth interviews and analysis shows that these organisations mostly focus on the local level to meet diverse, specific, and sometimes urgent needs of women (e.g., Roma women, rural women, impoverished as well as women in small local communities) facing particular challenges while doing so. Although most of them do not clearly profess a feminist identity, they are aware of the patriarchal context, especially in their local communities, and their interpretations are mostly in line with the feminist ethics of care. However, the lack of organisational capacity, sustainable funding, and a clear feminist agenda in their work undermine their critical potential to be triggers for social change.