Responsible private sector actors are leading changes to achieve gender equality

22nd of January 2024 

Responsible actors of the private sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina are leading changes and accelerating progress in achieving gender equality, is the conclusion of today's meeting of the private sector, held as part of the global campaign "Generation for Equality", organized by the UN Women office in BiH, with the support of the Bit Alliance association.

The meeting brought together representatives of the private sector with the aim of presenting positive examples and practices and highlighting the contribution of responsible actors of the private sector to support the achievement of global goals of gender equality and women's empowerment. Through the panel discussion, the advantages and obligations of responsible actors were highlighted, and an invitation was sent to other companies to join the global movement of dedicated and responsible actors.

"A strong private sector is key to promoting innovation and prosperity throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The private sector also has great potential to initiate transformative changes that are needed to advance gender equality. A particularly important area is increasing the employment of women, since Bosnia and Herzegovina currently has the lowest percentage of women active in the labor market in Southeast Europe (only 36.5%), said Ingrid Macdonald, UN Resident Coordinator. "I congratulate all companies in BiH that emphasize gender equality and I look forward to that more of them will join this initiative", Macdonald emphasized.

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"Generation for Equality" is a global initiative led by UN Women in partnership with civil society, youth, adolescent girls, governments and the private sector, in order to encourage partners, increase investments, achieve results and accelerate the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals, said Jo-Anne Bishop, representative of UN Women BiH.

"UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in cooperation with its partners, supports the localization of this global initiative", Bishop pointed out, adding that "four out of six Action Coalitions are localized in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have secured partnerships to encourage the engagement of the government, civil society, international organizations and the private sector, with the aim of achieving concrete and important results for women and girls."

"In partnership with the private sector, we organized this dialogue to highlight positive examples and good practices and encourage further engagement of the private sector in the direction of achieving a gender-equal future in Bosnia and Herzegovina," said Bishop, highlighting the private sector as an important long-term partner of UN Women.

"Bit Alliance, as a leader in the Bosnian IT industry, is pleased to emphasize its commitment to the advancement of gender equality in the sector. We believe that creating an inclusive environment for all members of the community is a key assumption for prosperity and innovation," said Damir Maglajlić, CEO of Bit Alijansa, inviting all actors in the IT community and beyond to join this key effort to create an inclusive, stimulating and equal environment for everyone. "We believe that the joint work and engagement of all actors in the sector contribute to strengthening the integration of different perspectives and encourage innovation, with which we all build a successful future of the IT industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina together," added Maglajlić.

The event provided a platform for the exchange of experiences of panelists from different sectors, who presented the commitment and strategy of advancing gender equality within their organizations. Representatives of the companies Lanaco, dm drogerie markt, Authority Partners, ZEOS and the association Bit Alijansa took part in the panel, who spoke about the importance of innovation, technological development and multi-sector partnership. The regional perspective was presented by Pelin Kihtir, manager for sustainability and relations with partners at the Turkish company Koç Holding.

UN Women continues its efforts to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls in BiH, and today's event was the first meeting of the private sector within the global campaign "Generation for Equality".