Boys and Young Men Safe Spaces

BYMCs are suitable places where competent professionals assure the physical and emotional safety of boys and young men on the move, with the final mission to prevent, mitigate and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) and ensure accessibility and availability of sexual and reproductive health services (SRH). Through a wide range of needs based and participatory activities these centers give them a sense of dignity and help to eliminate the sense of helplessness that often occurs in this population.
BYMCs can be established in the form of two different operational models: 1) as independent/separate service centres in a selected community in a particular country and 2) as centres within a more extensive response mechanism (e.g., camps for a population affected by certain crises). Yet they must be established with the appropriate involvement of the relevant government institutions.
UNFPA has established BYMCs within TRCs as part of a broader migrant related humanitarian response in this country, officially led by the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Currently (end of 2022), they are functioning at full potential and bring new experiences on a daily basis. Since the opening of the first BYMC in 2020, almost 10,000 boys and young men have passed through these centres. Bearing in mind the trends within mixed migration humanitarian flows, sharing experiences and lessons learned would prove very useful for future interventions.