Bosnia and Herzegovina

A strong democracy translates into better lives for its people. Since its establishment in 2015, WFD in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been in a quest to unlock the full potential of our democratic institutions to deliver on their promise. And we believe the key to this is in inclusive, collaborative and ethical governance. WFD partners with people and institutions across the country to create opportunities for political collaboration to solve problems that matter for the everyday lives of BiH citizens.

Whether aiming to have improved air quality for children at school, equal maternity benefits or abolished taxes for first business registration, we bring decision-makers together across ethnic and party divides to collaborate for solutions.

Throughout our work, we have witnessed that women leaders are more likely to prioritise citizens over personal and party interests. We, therefore, continuously promote women’s political leadership, supporting women politicians and addressing systemic barriers to their equal participation.

As an underlying principle of all our work, we are dedicated to mainstreaming the highest standards of integrity in political work and working with political actors to put values and ethics back to the core of politics.

Political context

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a unique governance structure established under the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War. The country consists of two entities, one of which is further fragmented into cantons, along with a self-governing district. This decentralized system reflects the multi-ethnic composition of Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. BiH operates as a parliamentary democracy and aspires to European Union membership, working to align its policies with EU standards. While peace has been established and there are grounds for stability, challenges remain in fully realising its potential to build stable, accountable and diverse governance.

Key areas of work

Strengthening participation of women in politics

Despite constitutional mandates for gender equality and gender quotas, women in Bosnia and Herzegovina face significant underrepresentation in politics. Structural barriers perpetuate gender inequality and limit women’s visibility, support, and leadership opportunities in public life. WFD’s efforts empower women politicians with skills in policymaking, advocacy, and political communication, enabling them to amplify their voices, influence policy, and improve decision-making.

Strengthening ethics and integrity in politics

WFD focuses on promoting ethical standards and reducing harmful practises such as hate speech and sexism in political discourse. By working with political parties, parliaments and civil society, we challenge the prejudices and stereotypes at the root of hate speech and demonstrate that compassionate leadership can thrive, even in one of the most polarized environments. We aim to strengthen intra-party mechanisms and standards to address integrity issues in politics at large.

Tackling youth unemployment

Bosnia and Herzegovina faces one of the world's highest youth unemployment rates, compounded by systemic corruption, political stagnation, and brain drain, with over 61% of young people aspiring to emigrate. Youth are economically marginalised, lack representation in public institutions and political parties, and have limited opportunities to influence decision-making, while government programmes and institutional responses remain fragmented and ineffective. WFD has addressed youth unemployment by mobilising political actors to prioritise youth issues and building coalitions to advocate for systemic change.

Current programmes

Tackling hate speech in political discourse

Political discourse in Bosnia and Herzegovina is dominated by inflammatory rhetoric, divisive and derogatory narratives, generated by politicians who exploit it for their self-interests. In a transitional country such as BiH, where democracy is exercised selectively and consequences of war still visible, the widespread use of aggressive language and war-mongering fuels the fears of violence, deepens the political polarisation and destroys social cohesion.

To decrease hateful and divisive rhetoric, we are working with political parties to clarify and promote the standards of acceptable political behaviour. We are strengthening and networking moderate political voices who carry uniting narratives and advocate against hate speech and divisive language. We are also working to lessen and discourage destructive rhetoric by creating spaces for cross-party collaboration around common interests and causes which unify political actors and citizens across different political backgrounds and affiliations.

Status

Underway

Planned end date

March 2025

Completed programmes

More than a Quota: advancing women’s political participation in BiH

Status

Completed

Start date

January 2018

Planned end date

December 2022

Turning the tide on youth unemployment

Status

Completed

Start date

January 2018

Planned end date

December 2022

Promoting women in politics in BiH

Status

Completed

Start date

January 2015

Planned end date

December 2017

Selected key results

An icon of three women with a star above them

WFD’s efforts to empower women in politics contributed to an increase of women in the local government, with 45% of women candidates from its programme elected in 2020.

A purple icon of a women leader delivering speech

Women’s competitiveness and influence in politics improved, with more women leading electoral lists in the 2020 and 2022 elections, and major parties increasing women in top positions and governing bodies.

Our flagship mentoring programme in BiH empowered women to drive impactful policy changes like introducing scholarships for children with disabilities, grants for business digitalization, pollution reduction, and zero-tolerance on sexual harassment policies

WFD supported the adoption of a new Code of Conduct by the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, establishing ethical standards and sanctions for sexual harassment and gender-based violence, creating a safer environment for women MPs and influencing similar codes in municipalities across the country.

Hate speech and sexist behaviour by political members were sanctioned within the political party based on a Code of Conduct adopted with the support of WFD through our programme on tackling hate speech and divisive narratives.

Our programme provided 2024 local elections candidates with capacities to promote constructive, positive debate and messages, while avoiding ethnic divisions that could incite hate. 60% of the participants in our program won mandates, demonstrating that non-divisive rhetoric resonates with voters.

WFD established an informal cross-party network in the Parliament of the Federation of BiH to address youth unemployment and brain drain, facilitating regular consultations with experts, youth organizations, and the business community to develop inclusive policy solutions.

Icon of hands holding together in circular path

WFD facilitated collaboration between CSOs and decision-makers, giving young people direct access to decision-makers and a voice in youth-related discussions.