Ajna Jusić, psychologist and president of the Forgotten Children of War Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has won an International Women of Courage Award. According to the State Department, “The Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognizes women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity, and more, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.” The award was presented by First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the White House.

(Photo by the White House)

Ms Jusić founded the Forgotten Children of War Association in 2018, which advocates for the legal and social recognition of children born of war. The important work and advocacy of Ms Jusić and theForgotten Children of War Association led to a new law being passed in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022, which recognised children born of war as victims of war entitled to reparations, compensation and social protection. Legally acknowledging the vulnerability of children born of wartime sexual violence in Bosnia entails recognising the stigma and marginalisation they have faced in society as “invisible children”.

(Photo by the White House)

This is the first law to ever acknowledge children born of war as victims deserving of special rights and protection and these changes would not have been possible without Ms Jusić and the Forgotten Children of War Association, who bravely began to share the stories and experiences of children born of war.