Broad Cooperation of B&H and SCG on Gender Equality Promotion in the Region

A one-day Sub-regional Gender Project Management meeting held in Sarajevo, represents the initiation of the cooperation of governmental gender mechanisms of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro and UNDP Country Offices from BH, Serbia and Montenegro. Governmental institutions, the UNDP partners in this project, represented by the Director of the Agency for Gender Equality in BiH, the Director of the Gender Centre of Republika Srpska, the Head of the Governmental Council for Gender Equality in Serbia and the Head of the Governmental Office for Gender Equality in Montenegro, together with the UNDP officials from Sarajevo, Belgrade and Podgorica, have defined strategic points for future cooperation of gender equality promotion in the region. Rationale for this bilateral programming stems from the fact that both BiH and Serbia and Montenegro have been working on the preparation and implementation of the PRSP and MDGs, which provide both countries with timely political opportunities in mainstreaming gender issues in poverty reduction and in advocating gender issues vis-à-vis governments at higher levels. The UNDP will, in line with the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro and with CIDA’s Balkans Program funding, in the following two years work on: 1) Contributing towards the creation of a critical mass of gender competent professionals in targeted civil society organizations in BiH and SCG, and selected government ministries in the Balkans 2) Helping to build the capacity of newly established gender equality institutions 3) Raising the public’s awareness of gender equality in order to strengthen the dialogue with governments/relevant organizations to implement existing or new gender equality legislations This program starts with a comprehensive “situation analysis” on awareness and professional understanding of gender equality in both countries. This two-country Programme also takes advantage of the experiences in each country and the wealth of experience in promoting gender equality by CIDA Gender Equality Monitors/Advisors. It includes ongoing institutional development for the implementation of the BiH Gender Equality Law through establishing the state-level Gender Agency, good practices in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina region and advanced gender studies in SCG. Political encouragement to promote gender equality in both countries will be made through joint training along with their follow-up activities open for public. The project will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme’s country offices in BiH and SCG.