Nation, religion et genre: se forger une nouvelle identité après la guerre en Bosnie-Herzégovine

Abstract

In the context of post-war Bosnia, this article analyzes the processes by which Bosnian muslim women restructure their identities, combining different elements such as gender, religion and citizenship. Distancing themselves from prescribed social roles inherited from the Yugoslav era, they strive to forge individual subjectivities. This requires the recognition of a Bosnian national identity, which grounds their legitimity as citizens in public space. Our study then shows the different arrangements Muslim women (who chose to wear a hijab) make in an effort to articulate two powerful identity poles, namely gender and religion. Some directly link the two through their professional endeavours, creating NGOs or choosing to enter the political arena. Others struggle, reconsider their choice of a visible religious identity, as the perception of the hijab in the public sphere threatens their subjectivity as independent women, which they deem unacceptable. In all cases, their goal is to achieve professional excellence -as work is the most important symbol of autonomy and of recognition- and to contribute actively to the remodelling of Bosnian society after the war. Creating or restoring one's subjectivity is inextricably linked to a commitment to social reform at large, particularly on a gender level.