Strengthening the Capacities of the Women’s Network of BiH

The project “Strengthening the Capacities of the Women’s Network of BiH” runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, funded by TRAG Foundation and aims to enhance the capacities of women’s rights defenders from Bosnia and Herzegovina, making them indispensable participants in all negotiations related to the quality of life in our country. Women’s rights defenders play a crucial role in providing social support, often offering services that the state cannot. However, we are frequently absent when important topics are discussed and do not have the opportunity to present our cases. Due to the reduced space for women’s activism and the lack of funds for women’s organizations, women’s rights defenders often do not have the chance to participate in important processes such as the UN 2030 Agenda and UNSDGs. Through this project, we will provide technical support to women’s organizations and women’s rights defenders to acquire new knowledge and define perspectives on international issues that directly affect the lives of women in our local context. We hope to establish new communication channels with international women’s rights defenders, expand our network regionally and internationally, and actively participate in developing plans and programs with lasting impacts. One of the project’s goals is to ensure space—both physical and digital—for women’s rights defenders, members of the Women’s Network of BiH, to increase our public visibility and present our perspective on issues affecting women and girls in our country. As part of the activities related to strengthening the Women’s Network of BiH, a meeting titled “Sarajevo Feminist-Activist Story” was held on January 30, 2024, with 20 activists from Sarajevo and the broader region. The meeting aimed to open space for discussion and coordination of joint events in the wider Sarajevo area, concerning the feminist-activist perspective on women’s rights, violence against women, femicide, and environmental issues. Additionally, in February 2024, an internal call was issued for member organizations’ activities during the month celebrating International Women’s Day—March 8. The Coordination Committee of the Women’s Network of BiH awarded five small grants of 500 KM each. Members of the Women’s Network of BiH had the opportunity to visit and exchange ideas with the Women to Women Foundation from Malta from March 24 to 27, 2024. During the visit to Malta, we realized that the country faces serious challenges related to femicide, and the Women to Women Foundation is actively working on strengthening local capacities for effective violence prevention. We believe that directly connecting and strengthening ties between us and the women from Malta will elevate the level of regional networking in advocating for the prevention of all forms of violence against women.