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EDVACAY Fellows Selma Salkić, Tesnim Mašić, and Nađa Hasanović created “The Forest of Forgotten Scents” which is a living memorial project that, through the act of planting trees, pays tribute to the victims of femicide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, transforming nature into a living monument. Through each planted tree, the tragedies of dozens of women killed by their spouses or partners became tangible stories, inspiring empathy and action in the broader community.
In September, following established cooperation with the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo and KJKP Rad (the Cantonal Public Utility Company “Rad”), and with the allocation of space next to the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Sarajevo, eight ornamental almond trees were planted. In front of them, a commemorative plaque was placed bearing the names of the 12 victims of femicide from 2024, along with a symbolic message highlighting the importance of raising awareness about such a crucial issue, also containing the SOS line phone number for any girl or woman experiencing domestic or partner violence.
During the event, passers-by stopped to talk with the Fellows about the tree planting action and why it was happening, commending the act. They also received small symbolic flower seed packets to take home. Each packet contained a brief explanation of the flower’s meaning and a message dedicated to one of the victims, such as lavender for calm, lily for innocence, sunflower for strength, and poppy for remembrance.
All activities were accompanied by media promotion, including coverage on social media, TV appearances, and features on online news portals. In their media appearances, Fellows advocated for the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which introduced femicide as a separate criminal offense, and which provides for a prison sentence of ten years or a long-term prison sentence, to come into force as soon as possible. The group believed this element is key in their project, in addition to the act of creating a memorial, in order to remind the public of past victims of femicide, and to warn of the real possibility that as a society with high level of domestic violence, there is a great chance that there will be new victims of femicide in the future, and to demand that the Law be implemented in practice as soon as possible so that perpetrators of femicide are receiving longer prison sentences.
