In the Western Balkans, women are not adequately represented in politics or corporate leadership structures. They have little influence over decision-making and the allocation of public funds, make up a larger share of the unemployed, and bear the overwhelming burden of unpaid domestic and care work. However, women’s empowerment and their position in society are the focus of many European Union initiatives in the Western Balkans, including combatting violence and discrimination, providing legal aid, supporting the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals, encouraging political engagement, promoting healthcare, ensuring transitional justice, supporting female entrepreneurs, fostering networking, preserving cultural traditions, and increasing the number of women in the police force and at border posts.
International Women’s Day on 8 March is an opportunity to highlight the strength and capabilities of women. To mark the occasion, a series of events and various campaigns are being organised in Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.
In Montenegro, the campaign “Heroines and Skills” celebrates women who have successfully transformed their careers: an economist engaged in gold embroidery, a professor cultivating mushrooms, a graphic designer creating terrariums, and an economist designing jewellery.
In Serbia, the EU Delegation has introduced the “Dobrila” award to promote greater recognition of efforts towards gender equality. The award is named after Dobrila Vasiljević Smiljanić, who recognised the potential of traditional women’s skills and dedicated her career to achieving economic and social equality for women in rural areas of Zlatibor. This year’s recipient is Radmila Gujaničić from Užice.
“This award is important to me as it rounds off my work after retirement, and I am particularly pleased to be the first recipient in the Zlatibor region. Through the Sirogojno cooperative, Dobrila empowered women from Zlatibor and became known worldwide. This award also gives me social influence, which I intend to share with other women,” said Gujaničić. She believes that the EU’s contribution to empowering women in the Western Balkans is invaluable.
“In order to get somewhere, you need to start somewhere, and the EU, as an external force, has the power to initiate change. It is crucial that they invest in improving the status of women. I would like to see more funding for economic empowerment, as women have realised the power of their economic activities. Perhaps more accessible loans and fewer commercial ones. Many projects would not have been realised, and many organisations would not have survived without EU support,” Gujaničić added. She also highlighted the significant impact of EU-funded initiatives, including partnerships with UN Women, which have yielded excellent results.
The positive impact of civil society organisations extends to the public sector. The INFOHOUSE Foundation from Sarajevo, in cooperation with the Budućnost Modriča Citizens’ Association, has changed public fund policies for self-employment through its project “Economic and Social Opportunities for the Independence of Women Survivors of Domestic Violence.” The project enabled 65 women who survived violence to receive entrepreneurship training and assistance in developing business plans, while 18 women received grants and mentorship to start their businesses.
“As a result of our advocacy, the Employment Bureau in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (one of the two administrative entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina) increased the funds allocated to women for self-employment by 10%,” said Dženana Alađuz, director of INFOHOUSE.
In Kosovo, the European Union in Kosovo is dedicating the month to celebrating the power, creativity, and impact of women through a series of inspiring events! From exhibitions by artists Ulpiana Kurtaj and Andjela Ranković, to masterclasses on women in business, digital innovation, and climate action, the month is packed with opportunities to learn, connect, and be inspired. Educational activities will engage young minds on gender equality and environmental awareness while the International Day of Zero Waste will be marked with a special cooking show promoting sustainability.
Beyond individual projects, the EU also implements regional initiatives involving multiple organisations from across the Western Balkans, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience. One example is the “Empowering Women to Tackle Energy Poverty in the Mediterranean” project, worth €2 million, which has been implemented in Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Albania.
At the Women’s Centre in Užice, representatives stress that collaboration with the EU is particularly important for small organisations that lack their own funds or cannot access public budgets.
“With the EU’s support, we launched a textile recycling initiative, which economically empowered women from marginalised groups. We also established cross-border cooperation with Montenegro, which remains active 15 years later,” representatives from the Women’s Centre in Užice stated. They emphasised that, thanks to the EU, they evolved from a small organisation unable to apply for grants independently into a competitive entity in the field of social innovation.
International Women’s Day on 8 March marks the struggle of women for shorter working hours, better working conditions, and voting rights—a movement that began on 8 March 1857 in New York. In 1910, the Socialist International, at the proposal of Clara Zetkin, established International Women’s Day. The United Nations has officially recognised the day since 1975, and in 1977, the UN General Assembly called on member states to proclaim 8 March as an official UN holiday for women’s rights and world peace.
In Serbia, the EU Delegation has introduced the “Dobrila” award to promote greater recognition of efforts towards gender equality. The award is named after Dobrila Vasiljević Smiljanić, who recognised the potential of traditional women’s skills and dedicated her career to achieving economic and social equality for women in rural areas of Zlatibor. This year’s recipient is Radmila Gujaničić from Užice.
“This award is important to me as it rounds off my work after retirement, and I am particularly pleased to be the first recipient in the Zlatibor region. Through the Sirogojno cooperative, Dobrila empowered women from Zlatibor and became known worldwide. This award also gives me social influence, which I intend to share with other women,” said Gujaničić. She believes that the EU’s contribution to empowering women in the Western Balkans is invaluable.
“In order to get somewhere, you need to start somewhere, and the EU, as an external force, has the power to initiate change. It is crucial that they invest in improving the status of women. I would like to see more funding for economic empowerment, as women have realised the power of their economic activities. Perhaps more accessible loans and fewer commercial ones. Many projects would not have been realised, and many organisations would not have survived without EU support,” Gujaničić added. She also highlighted the significant impact of EU-funded initiatives, including partnerships with UN Women, which have yielded excellent results.
The positive impact of civil society organisations extends to the public sector. The INFOHOUSE Foundation from Sarajevo, in cooperation with the Budućnost Modriča Citizens’ Association, has changed public fund policies for self-employment through its project “Economic and Social Opportunities for the Independence of Women Survivors of Domestic Violence.” The project enabled 65 women who survived violence to receive entrepreneurship training and assistance in developing business plans, while 18 women received grants and mentorship to start their businesses.
“As a result of our advocacy, the Employment Bureau in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (one of the two administrative entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina) increased the funds allocated to women for self-employment by 10%,” said Dženana Alađuz, director of INFOHOUSE.
In Kosovo, the European Union in Kosovo is dedicating the month to celebrating the power, creativity, and impact of women through a series of inspiring events! From exhibitions by artists Ulpiana Kurtaj and Andjela Ranković, to masterclasses on women in business, digital innovation, and climate action, the month is packed with opportunities to learn, connect, and be inspired. Educational activities will engage young minds on gender equality and environmental awareness while the International Day of Zero Waste will be marked with a special cooking show promoting sustainability.
Beyond individual projects, the EU also implements regional initiatives involving multiple organisations from across the Western Balkans, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience. One example is the “Empowering Women to Tackle Energy Poverty in the Mediterranean” project, worth €2 million, which has been implemented in Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Albania.
At the Women’s Centre in Užice, representatives stress that collaboration with the EU is particularly important for small organisations that lack their own funds or cannot access public budgets.
“With the EU’s support, we launched a textile recycling initiative, which economically empowered women from marginalised groups. We also established cross-border cooperation with Montenegro, which remains active 15 years later,” representatives from the Women’s Centre in Užice stated. They emphasised that, thanks to the EU, they evolved from a small organisation unable to apply for grants independently into a competitive entity in the field of social innovation.
International Women’s Day on 8 March marks the struggle of women for shorter working hours, better working conditions, and voting rights—a movement that began on 8 March 1857 in New York. In 1910, the Socialist International, at the proposal of Clara Zetkin, established International Women’s Day. The United Nations has officially recognised the day since 1975, and in 1977, the UN General Assembly called on member states to proclaim 8 March as an official UN holiday for women’s rights and world peace.
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