BALKANS Evidence of Change in Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment

“Working with civil society in the Balkans is a key factor in fostering development, promoting peace and achieving lasting change in the region”

Geneva, June 6 2013. Empowering women and girls to achieve their rights is a fundamental pillar of peaceful development in the Balkans, says CARE International in its latest report Evidence of Change in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Balkans. The report focuses on CARE’s work in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia over the past seven years and highlights the impact of programs and partnerships to overcome poverty and marginalization of minorities.

“With this publication we strive to showcase the real life impact of our work in the Balkan region and be accountable to the people we work for as well as the donors who make our work possible”, says Felix Wolff, CARE’s Regional Director for the Balkans.

The analysis shows that CARE’s method of working in close partnership with civil society actors has been a key factor in achieving positive change. In all five countries, CARE places a strong focus on supporting local organizations, especially those dedicated to supporting marginalized groups such as Roma or other minorities. According to the findings of the report, local organizations were empowered to carry out their own activities and advocacy through support and training by CARE staff.

This is particularly true for Roma women organizations that have been coached by CARE to become agents of change in their society. “CARE has helped us to have a greater influence. We participate in the development of all strategic documents related to Roma women in the country. We are involved in advisory bodies at the highest level, contributing to recommendations to government”, says Djurdjica Ergic, Coordinator of the Roma Women Center Bibija in Serbia.

Gender-based violence remains a huge obstacle for development in the Balkans. The report shows how CARE and its partners successfully addressed domestic violence and human trafficking, particularly through achieving improvements at the legislative level and changing the way local authorities deal with and ultimately support survivors of violence. The analysis further points out the vital role of working at community level to reduce the risk of violence women are facing in their lives. “The report clearly shows that we need to support women in the Balkans to achieve social and economic independence. But equality cannot be reached without including boys and men: CARE has been very successful in working with young men to challenge traditional gender norms and concepts of masculinity”, says CARE’s Regional Director Wolff.

Key report findings:

  • CARE has supported and trained 60 civil society organizations and 100 individuals, and has also furthered the creation of linkages and networks between civil society and governments
  • CARE has reached over 10.000 boys and men across the Balkans countries and more than 3.000 Roma women and girls in addressing traditional gender norms, challenging stereotypes and developing more equitable lifestyles
  • Increase in women’s participation in policy making, especially from the Roma community: Five Roma women ran for local elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

According to Felix Wolff, “this report clearly shows how we can achieve lasting change in the lives of people and support societies in becoming more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous. CARE seeks to make this knowledge available to other development actors and continue its support for the Balkans But despite the positive findings, there is still a lot that needs to be done for the region to overcome poverty and social barriers.”

Download the report here.

CARE in the Balkans
CARE International has been working in the Balkans since 1993. After providing humanitarian aid for victims of war and refugees, CARE now seeks to help build sustainable peace and development in the region. Programs support economic activities on regional levels, peace and reconciliation efforts, integration of minorities and the creation of opportunities for young people. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty.

For more information, images or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Johanna Mitscherlich
Media and Communications Officer
CARE Germany-Luxembourg
[email protected]
+49-228 975 63 23