How many dead women are needed?

(oslobodjene.ba)

The life of a woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina seems to be cheaper than anything. Can someone answer the question of how much a woman's life costs in our country? They can't. They won't. They don't want to get involved. It's not my responsibility. These days, Kiseljak has been particularly shrouded in sadness and silence after the murders that shook the locals, as well as the region. I often think about how unnecessarily I write, work and publish everything. Not only me, but all my colleagues. Today, anyone can write, comment and give themselves the right to express their personal views (as if anyone cares). Then those close to them "lean" on these publications with comments:

- bravo, we're with you

- endure, everything will pass

- let her be, she got what she deserved and the like.

How many dead women does it take for us to finally react? What more needs to happen for us to wake up and realize that none of us are safe? How much more can get under our skin? Do we have a shred of empathy?

The beginning of this week in our country began with the murder of one woman and the wounding of another. A man shot his wife and mother-in-law. He killed the mother-in-law and seriously wounded his wife. After being surrounded by police, he tried to commit suicide, but to no avail. He was taken into custody. By the end of the day, his wounded wife had died, as had the suspect in the murder. The residents of Jehovec, the settlement where the fatal tragedy occurred, speak only the best of the best about this family, describing it as a peaceful and withdrawn family without any conflicts with neighbors.

And again the same mantra follows. The murder suspect had previously been reported for violence. However, the difference is that the violence was not against his wife, but against a third party. Weapons like in action movies. Does he have a license? No. Who sold him the weapon? It is unknown. If he does have a license, who issued it and on what basis? What checks are carried out and who is capable of having a weapon near them today, when more than half of the population suffers from PTSD?

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, unfortunately, every second woman has survived some form of violence. There are numerous reports that remain unprocessed, and who knows how many abusers we see on the streets every day without even realizing it. Another house remained empty. This tragedy has reopened the issue of the escalation of domestic violence and femicide in BiH, as well as harsh public reactions. What else needs to happen for urgent reform steps to be taken by all competent authorities? Once again, everyone is making statements after what has been done. Once again, we receive belated explanations and once again everyone shifts responsibility from one to another, to a third party... never ending.

Femicide in BiH remains a serious social problem, requiring an urgent response. This concerns all of us. We must not turn a blind eye. Let's wake up for two, five or ten days. Let's take to the streets. Protests, messages, slogans and then everything goes quiet again until the next murder. Which woman is next?