The pluralism of women’s interests and the way
they organize can also be observed in religious mat-
ters. Faith-based women’s organizations have emerged,
concerned with education and promoting religious
values and lifestyle. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, Muslim
women’s organizations have been set up, concerned
with education, humanitarian aid, the promotion
of Islamic values and the Islamic way of life, and
defending the right to dress in an Islamic way. The
present women’s NGO scene reflects the country’s
religious, political, and cultural pluralism.
The international community has an important
part to play in the activities and development, but
also in the frailties of civil society, with its aid pro-
grams and focus on specific issues. Given that civil
society is still undeveloped, has not achieved finan-
cial independence, has failed to introduce internal
organizational structures, and lacks experience in
the field, it is subject to the influence of international
donors. Analyses indicate that local organizations
are subordinate to international organizations and
donors. The activities of local NGOs derive from
foreign projects, missions in the region, and the
goals they aim to achieve. The absence of coordi-
nation between donors, and the imbalance between
the needs of beneficiaries and donors, make it
harder to achieve genuine results in the operations
of civil society. It seems as though the entire process
of developing civil society, including the work of
women’s organizations, is taking place top-down
and from outside the country. Top-down develop-
ment means that project leadership is in the hands
of people who are not from this region, and devel-
opment outside the country means that the needs,
aims, and resources required to carry them out
are determined in different circles. Paradoxically,
civil society has been accorded a responsible role
but the opportunities available for it to develop are
limited.
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