Students raise awareness of online violence through powerful We're not ok with this, are you? exhibition in Europe House

Europe House, in cooperation with Mentis Institute and the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo presented yesterday the exhibition "We're not ok with this, are you?" as part of the global campaign "16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence". The exhibition features works of students and contributes to global efforts in raising awareness about online violence and creating a safer space for women and girls.

Adebayo Babajide, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina underlined the importance of continued work with local stakeholders in empowering gender equality. "Digital platforms have the power to amplify interpersonal violence and need to be more central in the struggle for gender equality. The European Union's commitment to this issue in BiH is clear - we continue working across sectors, government, civil society and private sector to build practices and policies that protect women from any form of abuse, offline or online. What is also crucial is a societal change - challenging patriarchal norms that condone control and silencing, empower survivors, strengthen protection services and build digital infrastructures that safeguards dignity, safety and equality," remarked Babajide.

The exhibition is realised through the joint programme Gender Equality Accelerator, financed by the EU, Sweden and Denmark with an investment of EUR 7.5 million, and implemented by UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF in BiH, within the framework of cooperation between the United Nations and the institutions of BiH, with the aim of advancing gender equality and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Justine Coulson, UNFPA representative in BiH highlighted the need to focus on creating a safer online environment. "These works ask us to urgently confront a form of violence that is often dismissed as "only online" yet leaves profound emotional and psychological consequences. The students' visual language captures the constant pressure of digital hostility, the choices we make online, and the silence we too often maintain. As UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA, we work together to prevent all forms of violence against women and girls. What you see tonight reflects one of our most important commitments: bringing youth voices, creativity and lived experience into the heart of gender based violence prevention," said Coulson.

In addition to the exhibition, Europe House, in cooperation with psychologists from the Mentis Institute organised a series of creative workshops with high school students in Doboj, Konjic, Kladanj and Sarajevo focusing on everyday language used online and office in order to identify and analyze how certain words and comments can reinforce violence and exclusion. Students from each of the workshops also designed their messages and conclusions which are presented at the exhibition.

The exhibition We're not OK with this, are you? is open for the public from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00 at Europe House, Maršala Tita 62 in Sarajevo until 24 December 2025.