Gender Balance in the Criminal Justice System: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia

Abstract

This chapter is aimed at providing an overview of the gender equality situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s, North Macedonia’s, and Serbia’s policing and judi- ciary. We investigate the legal and policy frameworks for gender equality in these three formerly communist countries, as well as how they influence gender represen- tation in police forces and the judiciary. Given that the research literature suggests that policing and the judiciary might be highly gendered professions, particularly given the police profession’s culture of masculinity, our gender focus is on women. Furthermore, we examine whether there are similarities and differences in gender representation in these professions across the three states. The information was gathered primarily from publicly available national official statistics and govern- mental agency reports, as well as reports from nongovernmental organizations. Finally, this chapter is aimed at improving understanding of the inclusion of a gen- der equality perspective in these professions, as well as the challenges women face in achieving gender equality.