Towards Equality

The Towards Equality project, born from the collaboration between Empow’Her and its Bosnian partner Zene Za Zene International, aims to strengthen the agency of women and communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to inform new regional strategies and promote gender equality in Eastern Europe.

The Towards Equality project pursues two objectives:

• Strengthen the economic empowerment of women and foster collaborative dynamics promoting gender equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the creation and animation of a Feminist Center in Sarajevo;
• Encourage the establishment of women’s empowerment strategies at the European level through data production, the establishment of learning communities, and networking between CSOs.

The Towards Equality project aims to promote egalitarian, inclusive, and feminist dynamics in Eastern Europe, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through several objectives:

• Establish a vibrant and inspiring space in Sarajevo for women, allowing them to flourish safely, explore new opportunities, and be part of a community committed to equality;
• Implement a tailored support program to help women realize their entrepreneurial projects;
• Facilitate skills transfer, knowledge sharing, and expertise exchange among partners to create concrete opportunities for women entrepreneurs;
• Produce data and knowledge on women’s economic empowerment in Eastern Europe to contribute to the emergence of solutions and recommendations in favor of gender equality;
• Promote women’s entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe by fostering exchanges and establishing a strong network of actors involved in entrepreneurship and gender equality.

Empow’Her plays a central role in the overall coordination of the project. Its commitment translates into close collaboration with the local partner, ensuring the quality of each stage of the process. Operationally, Empow’Her is responsible for designing the support program, collecting and analyzing data to develop recommendations for gender equality in Eastern Europe, and creating regional alliances to promote gender equality.

• Publication of a socio-behavioral study to understand gender issues in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Opening of the first Feminist Center dedicated to gender equality in Sarajevo, offering a space for learning and opportunities for women;
• 1425 women impacted by the activities of the entrepreneurial school;
• Deployment of a personalized support program;
• Allocation of financial grants to 20 promising entrepreneurial projects;
• Creation and dissemination of a best practices toolkit for establishing a feminist Center;
• Establishment of 3 communities of practice to facilitate exchange, foster collaborative learning, and resource sharing among feminist CSOs;
• Coordination of 3 field study visits involving 7 CSOs per visit;
• Organization of a Forum at Sist’Her Sarajevo to conclude the project.

The project, funded by the French Agency for development and the L’Oréal Foundation, is in partnership with Zene Za Zene International (ZZI).