WFD supported democratic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) since the mid-1990s. Programmes focused on developing political party relationships through sister-party work and supporting parliament to monitor the executive.
Over 20 years since the end of the 1992-1995 conflict, the legacy of the war is still felt in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political institutions. The separation into two entities (the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska) because of the Dayton peace agreement has enabled ethnic divisions to remain embedded. Most political parties are divided along ethnic lines and politics tends to operate at the local rather than national level. Women, young people and ethnic minorities feel the impact of the past most strongly.
In 2014, WFD combined political party and institutional expertise to support women candidates ahead of the local elections. The programme sought to increase the profile of women in political discourse and engage the media, political parties, candidates and other interested groups such as students and citizens in municipalities to raise awareness of the vital contribution women can make to political life. Six of the main political parties engaged in the programme to benefit more than 300 women candidates across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
WFD’s approach addressed many of the challenges women face when running for a public office. Only through equitable representation of women in political structures, can the whole of society advance. WFD’s work has increased public awareness of gender equality issues, promoted fair representation in the media, and given women candidates the skills to run competitive election campaigns.
Country data
Population: 3.5 million
GNI per capita: $4,940 (USD)
Media freedom: 51/100 (partly free)
Democracy index: 55/100 (partly free)
Programme data
2014: year of first WFD programme
Results
Increased exposure of women in mainstream media ahead of October 2016 elections
Communications and political campaigning skills of women candidates improved
Implementation
Youth Political Engagement
Planned end: March 2021
Promoting women in politics
Planned end: March 2018
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