SANELA BAŠIĆ ČEKIĆ, MA (Berlin), Ph.D. (Sarajevo), Professor at the University of Sarajevo, Head of the Department of Social Work.
Publications include Social Work in BiH – Societal Conditions and Professional Perspectives (Sarajevo: FPN, 2022), Selected Topics in Social Policy and Social Work (Sarajevo: FPN, 2019), Gender Inequalities on the Labor Market – Women's Side of the Story (Sarajevo: Friedrich Ebert Foundation, 2012).
Abstract:
The paper "Women, Age and Poverty in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Navigating Challenges from Socialism to Neoliberalism" examines the socioeconomic conditions of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dramatic social changes over the past three decades – war over independence, transition to a market economy, and coronavirus pandemic- have triggered three corresponding waves of impoverishment resulting in both an increase in (relative) poverty and a change in poverty patterns/character.
The paper explores an intricate relationship between gender, age, and poverty focusing on the transition from a socialist to a market economy. It examines the socialist era’s policies that emphasized collective welfare, including state-sponsored employment, healthcare, and pensions, which significantly reduced general poverty levels and benefited women. However, the shift to a liberalization period brought profound changes, including market-driven policies and reduced state intervention, leading to increased poverty and social inequality among women. It analyzes how the rising unemployment rates, the inadequacy of pension schemes, and the decline in public services quality, have exacerbated the poverty levels among women that shape old-age poverty among women. Finally, the paper proposes policy recommendations to address these challenges, emphasizing the need for targeted social programs, improved healthcare, and sustainable pension systems to mitigate the adverse effects of the transition in old-age women.