Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a predominantly rural country in Southeast Europe, with a population of 3.2 million.
We Effect’s work in Bosnia and Herzegovina is focused on contributing towards the socio-economic development of the rural areas and improving the quality of life of the rural population. An important pillar of our work is food security, environment climate change and resilience, economic empowerment of women and strengthening their role in the community and in the overall processes of rural development. Further, we work with reconciliation between different ethnic groups.
Suada Obradović picking raspberries on her property in the village of Kravica in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo by Senad Pirić.The country faces significant socio-economic challenges, including high poverty rates and food insecurity. The most recent research shows that 17.5% of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina is living below the poverty line. Gender inequalities persist, with rural women particularly affected by limited access to services and economic opportunities. The aftermath of conflicts has left a legacy of societal fragmentation, making cooperation and social cohesion challenging. Ethnic divisions and nationalist rhetoric dominate the political landscape, perpetuating political deadlock and deepening social divisions, hindering progress towards unified governance and sustainable development.
Our initiative in BiH aims to address these multifaceted challenges by advocating for gender equality, enhancing food security, and promoting sustainable rural development. By empowering rural women and fostering inclusive economic growth, we seek to mitigate vulnerabilities and build a more resilient future. The strategic focus on BiH is driven by its unique blend of rural demographics, gender disparities, and climate vulnerabilities, making it crucial to foster sustainable development and empower marginalized communities. Through collaborative efforts and evidence-based interventions, we aim to create lasting social impact, ensuring that all individuals have equal opportunities to thrive in their communities. By fostering collaboration and leveraging evidence-based interventions, we seek to mitigate vulnerabilities and build resilience against socio-economic disparities. This strategic focus on BiH integrates efforts to overcome ethnic divisions and nationalist tensions, promoting social cohesion and advancing towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Results in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- In Bosnia and Herzegovina, We Effect programme reached 74 women and 8 men directly, and influenced 500 women and 120 men indirectly, promoting gender transformative work within the community.
- 30 women gained access to sales through initiatives such as fairs. Of these, 24% continued selling their products, expanding into new markets and increasing production by 20%. The Ajvar product (a spread made from red peppers), in particular, sold out during the fair, highlighting its popularity and prompting plans for increased production in the following year.
- Financial literacy has been introduced as a new service in their work with women and men, particularly couples, providing access to all beneficiaries. This addition has enhanced their efforts towards gender equality by addressing gender norms and roles through education and awareness. All direct beneficiaries of the program have gained access to this financial literacy service, further empowering them in managing finances and contributing to equitable decision-making within households.
Partnership approach
We Effect collaborates with local partner organisations – which are member-based and represent the voice of the smallholder farmers and other vulnerable groups.
Jointly we advocate and work for economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable agriculture and rural development with a gender perspective.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, We Effect collaborates with one local partner organisation.
Multi-country programme
Our work in Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the We Effect Europe multi-country programme (2023-2027), primarily focusing on sustainable rural development. The main emphasis is on national structures but also includes elements of regional processes, synergies, and structures. The programme functions as a platform to promote sustainable dialogue and regional cooperation. The programme includes support to local organisations in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Projects
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are also working currently through one national project:
Fostering Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment as Key Element for Rural Development
Partner organisation: Association of citizens Vive Žene
The project is primarily focused on women, survivors of war, who are living in ethnically divided communities. The aim of the project is to establish trust, respect, and communication between the women, as a precondition for reconciliation.
Even though they live in divided communities they experience the same hardships of being rural women. They also have joint needs to improve their skills and capacity to take active role in the community developments to increase their knowledge in business development and to market their agricultural products.
The project will create neutral space for discussions between the different ethnic women’s groups and foster development of a joint vision for the future. The goal is to become economically strong, actively involved in public life, equal, have mutual solidarity and become recognized by the local authorities as women’s groups working together to promote and protect human rights, peace, and gender equality.
The cooperation between the different ethnic women’s groups will be a constructive contribution to reconciliation and building durable peace in the rural environments of Northeast Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Meet the people
