SARAJEVO, AUGUST 16 (ONASA) – The domestic violence that ended in murders in Gradačac has put topics in the field of social protection in the focus of public interest, which, despite the ominous events, is an opportunity for the public to become familiar with the complexity of the social protection system, which relies heavily on and referred to other segments of society, and dependent on the competence of several different levels of government, announced the FBiH Government.
In this regard, Federal Minister of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delić points out, since the beginning of the mandate, the Ministry has insisted on connecting lower levels of government with the umbrella, federal, and multi-sector approach, which implies coordinated and joint finding of solutions.
“Unfortunately, as a society we always react to the consequences and serious topics such as domestic violence only come into the public’s focus when it escalates, such as the case of the murders in Gradačac. At this moment, many solutions and different initiatives are being offered, which should be a response to increasingly frequent violence, especially domestic violence. As a result, such situations often give rise to solutions that are made hastily, and which are later unsustainable because they are either not planned well enough or they are not detected in cooperation with those with whom it should be communicated”, said the federal minister.
He stated that this is not the way, and that the social protection system should be approached systematically and through an analytical review of the best long-term sustainable solutions.
First of all, this implies strengthening the capacity of centers for social work, ensuring better working conditions for social workers and other helping professions, which is recognized through the sectoral Strategy for the Development of the Social and Child Protection System, and a systemic solution to the stable financing of existing safe houses.
“In public speeches these days, we can hear requests for the establishment of more safe houses, which should be the solution. That is part of the solution, but before that we have centers for social work that must be strong enough, with staff and other necessary resources, to respond to the needs on the ground through early identification of problems. As far as safe houses are concerned, the priority is to ensure systemic financing solutions for the existing five safe houses through the budgets, which we already planned in the proposals for the 2024 budget”, Minister Delić explained.
And so that the stable financing of safe houses would not depend on the will of an individual or any government structure, the minister also announced that the Ministry will submit the Law on Social Services to the procedure by the end of this year, which will, among other things, ensure the just-mentioned strengthening of the capacity of centers for social work, and prescribe the licensing of social service providers, including safe houses and service centers in local communities. The law, the minister points out, will also prescribe the standards and financing of social services, and thus safe houses, which will finally stabilize their financing and enable smooth operation independent of the daily routine and will of the authorities. The goal is to strengthen the existing capacities, and then work on new ones based on the prescribed standards”, states Minister Delić.
In addition to the above, the Law on Social Services will enable the standardization and financing of preventive programs in local communities with the aim of prevention and early recognition of problems in families and local communities.
“What is happening now is a reaction and we want to change that paradigm where prevention comes before reaction. We do not want to deal with the treatment of the consequences, but with the detection of the causes, and in this segment, through the Act on Social Services, the sectoral strategy, the Act on the Activities of Psychologists, which is in the process, and the Act on the Activities of Social Workers, which we are planning next year, we want to strengthen the social protection system in all its segments.” , the minister added.