Despite the challenging circumstances brought on by the global pandemic, women in BiH made gains in the local elections in 2020 and the below report shows a small, incremental increase in the number of women elected in local councils across BiH. Even in the face of adversity, we still see progress.

Some trends presented in this analysis are particularly encouraging, such as an increase in the number of women leading lists, as well as the electoral success of young women. Of 67 women from 17 political parties involved in our ‘More than a Quota’ programme, nearly half were elected.

While these trends are encouraging, more needs to be done to ensure that women’s voices are included in political decision-making. Global research shows that women as policy makers think more broadly, identifying often neglected problems in healthcare, welfare
and education and as such, contribute to more equal and caring societies. Their presence raises the overall quality of decision-making.

This study analysed the results of the 2020 local elections from a gender equality angle and mapped the key trends in the representation of women in local governments.