Fife headteacher visits Bosnia as part of gender violence project

Avril McNeil, head teacher at Glenrothes High School, one of the first secondaries in Scotland to become a UN Rights Respecting school, joined MSP Kezia Dugdale and Very Reverend Dr Lorna Hood, former Moderator of the Church of Scotland.

The group departed for Sarajevo, Srebrenica, Tuzla and Zanica on April 13, as part of a delegation from Remembering Srebrenica Scotland.

The charity is working to build new links between Scotland and organisations representing female victims of the Bosnian war.

The group went to build close ties with organisations and women in Bosnia, ensuring that women and girls in Scotland can learn about the genocide that took place.

In 1995, Bosnian Serb forces led by General Ratko Mladić massacred 8372 men and boys in the greatest atrocity on European soil since the Second World War.

Remembering Srebrenica keeps their memory alive by organising commemoration events. This year, the charity is focusing on breaking the silence on women’s experiences of the genocide. Between 20,000 and 50,000 women were raped during the war, and thousands lost husbands and fathers.