Economic
Empowerment and
Fight against
Poverty of Women
in Bosnia
Herzegovina
Program ''Economic Progream
‘’Economic Empowerment and Poverty
Reduction of Women in Bosnia
Herzegovina targets vulnerable
chatgeories of women who do not have
access to other sources of ffinancing.
Women single heads of households –
sinlge mothers or widows, women over
45 years of age who lost jobs as a
consequence of the war, women with
special needs, victims of domestic
violence, women at the most risk of
becoming victims of trafficking, users of
social beefits displaced and minority
women, especially Roma.
Wehther they live in urban or rural areas
women face same disadvatages
and obstacles – e.g. discrimation on
the base of age.
When she approached BHWI Foundation
Maksuma Šuvalić was displaced woman
left without employment as a
consequence of the war. At the age of
50, she found herself in the urban setting
and at the age that was not ‘’attractive’’
to newly emerged employers.
Being capable of wokring but not finding
employment, Maksuma deeveloped idea
of starting own business.
That is how Amsi d.o.o started, with the
financial support from BHWI for
machines, repro material and registration
costs .
In consecutive year, with technicall
support of BHWI, Amsi d.o.o. applied for
and received additional funding for
expansion from the Ministry for
Entrepreneurship and Crafts. Currently,
Amsi d.o.o employs three workers.
Maksuma Šuvalić
Re-fiiling of printer cartridges
Slobodanka Ćorluka, minority returnee, was
employed in industry before the war. When
she approached BHWI she was unemployed
and not yet eligible for retierment. Living in
isolation in rural areas around Mostar
she had literaly none chances for securing
means of living.
Isolation and the absence of running water in
her village determine sheep breeding
as the only effective income generating
activity for this middle-aged women.
Today she has byers coming to her
doorstep, which is an additional advantage
not having to invest in trasport and
distribuition.
Slobodanka Ćorluka
Sheep breeing
Women form rural areas are in a
especially difficult position to find
employment. They have limited access to
funding and credits, partly because of their
isolation and partly due to the fact that they
in most cases do not own any property as a
guarantee for bank credit.
Greenhouse flower production
Solidarity group of women, Čelebići
Greenhouse vegetable production
Solidarity group of women, Srebrenica
Even though agricultural activity requires
participation of entire family , women are
primary applicants with BHWI Foundation –
they sign contracts, need to open bank
account for the purpose of project
implementation and are responsible for
managing own project. We believe by that this
fact alone we improve position of rural
women. Funding they receive becomes visible
contribution to their families which results in
their better standing and recognition from the
family and the community as whole.
Investments into development of small family
farms, offers durable solutions for rural
families. It presents transfer from
agriculture as a way of life into
agriculture as a profession.
Only from the sale of flowers seedlings in
spring and flowers for All Saints day in
autumn these three women earn over 12,000
BAM a year.
Cheeken breeding
Solidarity group of women, Ljubinje
BHWI gives priority to projects whose
implementation includes different
stakeholders in the community or projects
that fit within local development plan, thus
securing long-term sustainability of the
project. In this way, project beneficiaries
are able to access additional sources of
financing especially incentives from the
state for business development
One such example is project ''Cheese
production'' whose aim was to expand
and improve already established home
production of cheese. Production was
based on buying off milk from small local
farms (one to two cows per farm)
and production of cheese following
traditional recipe of the region.
One woman, dental nurse by profession
who, at the age of 42,was left without any
means of income, had a vision and BHWI
Foundation was able to provide
support. The initial and consecutive fund
received from BHWI Foundation allowed
purchase of modern machinery for
packaging and production and
expansion in quantity and assortment of
final products.
Mirsada Dedić
Cheese Production
Only two years after the start of
production, beneficiary registered
cooperative. The current number of
members of cooperative is over 80
women who produce milk and half
products. After becoming members
of cooperative each of these women was
able to receive incentive from the
Ministry for Agriculture to enlarge number
of cows. Today, company 'Dedić‘
had contracts for distribution of their
products in all big supermarket
chains throughout the country.
Minority returnee women from suburban
areas around Mostar who were mostly
employed in the town before the war but
were left without employment upon their
return, turned towards resources at hand
for securing means of living. They reestablished their pre-war vineyards from
the fund received by BHWI Foundation.
Consequently they gained right to access
incentives from the Ministry of Agriculture
and to receive an additional 0,50 BAM for
each 1 BAM
received by BHWI
Foundation.
Education of physical therapist
Zenica
Re-establishment of vineyards
Solidarity group of women,
Hodbina
This project is one of the most successfully
examples of very good co-operation of
three sectors (state, non governmental and
private) working together. Besides the
initial fund for education of 5 young women
received from BHWI Foundation, additional
funding was received from Municipality for
their travel costs exam fees, exam without
which they cannot get employment in own
profession. The certificates received after
the exam are entered into individual
employment books issued by the
employment centre. Education was taking
place at the private physiotherapy salon as
well as public hospital where beneficiaries
were given chance to practice under
supervision of professionals. All five
women have passed the exam. One of
them stayed to work in the private salon
and one in the hospital. The remaining
three beneficiaries have very good
chances to start work upon the call, visiting
potential patients at home and thus earning
income.
The advantage of the local grant maker
is a great knowledge of local needs and
conditions.
In that sense BHWI Foundation can
provide targeted support where needed,
supporting both traditional and non
traditional activities.
This is especially important in urban or
more populated areas where small
business, besides favourable cost of
service/goods has to offer something new
to stand out in order to find its way towards
customers.
Pasta production, Zavidovići
Production of lamps and other items
of iron, Zenica
Mobile hairdressers, Banjaluka
Project’’ Mobile hairdressers was a
traditional activity ‘with a twist’. It aim was
to bring the hairdressers to the doorstep in
suburban areas of Banjaluka. Besides
obvious economic gain for the group of
young hairdressers, project also provided
valuable service for the community,
especially for very young and very
old persons .
BHWI Foundation funded bicycles and
hairdressing equipment.
Production of patchwork clothing,
Fashion Show, Sarajevo
BHWI believes in principle of Equal
Opportunities. Some groups of women are
discriminated on several accounts – as
women, as Romas, as persons with
disabilities. BHWI Foundations believe
that all of us are entrepreneurs.
Production of
unique woollen
clothes,
Group of
Asylum
seekers,
Rakovica
Young Roma women, asylum seeker ,with
completed 4 grades of primary school. She
was a victim of arranged marriage and
domestic violence. After being rescues from
that environment, she joined group for
crocheting in Asylum centre in Rakovica
and started earning income from own work.
All clothing items are produced under the
supervision of designer who distributes
products in one boutique in Sarajevo.
Production of plastic items
Široki Brijeg
Young woman with disabilities
started own business producing
plastic household items and
packaging
Association of parents of children
with special needs established
Laundry service which employs three
young women, two of whom are
persons with special needs.
BHWI strongly supports projects of
education believing that only through
constant improvement of own skills and
abilities women can become competitive
on the job market.
Depending on the actual needs of the
beneficiary group as well as the demands for
certain types of work, training are
tailored to suit beneficiary group. They vary
from tailoring courses , internships, specific
types of training such as greenhouse
production, accounting etc.
Depending on the type of training, in principal
most training are group training , followed,
were necessary, by individual consultations in
the field.
Group of asylum seekers at the
BAGAT school of tailoring , Sarajevo
Group of asylum seekers at the
Workshop Silk painting, Salakovac
Training for women who received
greenhouse from BHWI fund
Women in business, training team
Job seeking skills
This training focus is on the improvement
of life and job seeking skills. Young women,
first time job seekers, were theoretically and
practically educated in the areas of computing,
Business administration, communication ,
working rights, gender rights etc. Through
simulation of job interviews , writing of CVs,
internet job seeking etc. they were provided
with skills but also introduced to the potential
dangers that might be hidden behind the job
advertisements, all with the aim of making safe
life decisions about own job and carrier.
Offering tailored specialised training for
improvement of job seeking skills, in the
case of Roma minorities means offering
Basic literacy training.
Basic literacy skills
Besides education targeting women, BHWI
supports projects for changes of gender
policies in economic sector targeting
governmental and public representatives
as well as gender oriented NGOs.
Gender sensitive budgeting, Sarajevo
BHWI supported series of workshop
‘’Gender sensitive budgeting’’ at
The municipality level in Sarajevo. The
aim of the workshops was to sensitise
municipal representatives (120
participants) to consider interest of
women in planning and budgeting.
The workshops resulted in
development of the criteria for equal
opportunities, and as a first step
municipality Novi Grad, separated
approx. 30.000,00 KM for gender
related projects from budget for the
next year. Further to that , the
municipality has formed the
Commission for gender equality that
monitors gender component. It
consists of the representatives of
the department for displaced and
refugees and the Department for
economy.
Fondacija BH inicijativa žena
BHWI Foundation
Sarajevo, Fra Anđela Zvizdovića 1B/7,
UNITIC Tower
Tel: ++ 387 33 295 416
Fax: ++ 387 33 295 418
E-mail: sekretarijat@bhwifoundation.com.ba