The ICIP’s Governing Board has decided to confer the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2023 to the candidacy that includes two associations from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Women Victims of War and Forgotten Children of War “for their work denouncing rape as a weapon of war, fighting against impunity, and empowering and drawing attention to victims of sexual violence.”
The award-winning associations work on the documentation of rapes during the Balkan War and the legal and social recognition of children born in situations of sexual violence. It is estimated that between 25,000 and 50,000 women and girls were victims of rape as a strategy of ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War, and 4,000 infants were born due to the assaults. Beyond Bosnia, the awarded entities are also in contact with survivors of other conflicts, such as Ukraine, to accompany them in denunciation and recognition as victims of war.
The winning candidacy was presented by Cultura i Conflicte. This Catalan organization has reflected the work of the two Bosnian associations in the multidisciplinary project Encara hi ha algú al bosc (There is still someone in the forest), which includes a documentary, an exhibition and a play.
