World Bank Income Classification:Low Income
The World Bank classifies economies for analytical purposes into four income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high income. For this purpose it uses gross national income (GNI) per capita data in U.S. dollars, converted from local currency using the World Bank Atlas method, which is applied to smooth exchange rate fluctuations.
Least Developed Country:Yes
Since 1971, the United Nations has recognized LDCs as a category of States that are deemed highly disadvantaged in their development process, for structural, historical and also geographical reasons. Three criteria are used: per capita income, human assets, and economic vulnerability.
Gender Inequality Index:0.575
GII is a composite metric of gender inequality using three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market. A low GII value indicates low inequality between women and men, and vice-versa.
Gender Development Index:0.723
GDI measures gender inequalities in achievement in three basic dimensions of human development: health, education, and command over economic resources.
Population:209,497,025
Source of population data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision
Male:19,976,265 (9.5%)
Female:189,520,760 (90.5%)
By 2025, people benefit from resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth ensured by the convergence of economic development and management of environment and cultural resources
UNW utilizes two-pronged approach of influencing the major players and implementing targeted interventions aimed at influencing policies relevant for economic empowerment of women. Given the development challenge in this area, appropriate reach will be secured through partnership with “big players” in the economic reform, with a view of engendering their support to government and investment programmes. UNW will work to improve the effectiveness of existing policies through policy coherence between programmes for GE and employment promotion. At institutional level, UNW aims to achieve effective targeting and inclusion of women in existing labour market measures and programmes based on the action-oriented research of the existing measures. UNW will support the development and resilience of women owned business and women entrepreneurs and improve socio-economic position of rural women and their cooperatives. We shall continue seeking to ensure ICT/STEM is available and accessible to girl
Number of gender responsive provisions in the labour market and social protection policies
Number of national and/or local (multi) sectoral strategies, policies and/or action plans that are adopted with a focus on gender equality (CO)
- Complementary Indicator UNAIDS, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF
SP 3.8.1: Number of legal, regulatory and/or policy frameworks aligned with international standards that create decent work for women developed and/or being implemented with support from UN-Women
SP 3.8.2: Number of gender-responsive macroeconomic policies (including fiscal, monetary and trade) developed and/or being implemented with support from UN-Women
SP 3.8.3: Number of legal, regulatory and/or policy frameworks in support of gender-responsive social protection systems that are developed and/or being implemented with support from UN-Women
SP 3.8.4: Number of legal, regulatory and/or policy frameworks that address unpaid care work developed and/or being implemented with support from UN-Women
SP 3.8.5: Number of countries with strengthened capacities to undertake gender-responsive socio-economic impact assessments in response to the COVID-19 crisis, with a focus on at-risk populations
SP 3.9.1: Number of women with strengthened capacities and skills to participate in the economy, including as entrepreneurs, with UN-Women's support
SP 3.9.2: Number of women entrepreneurs supported to access finance and gender-responsive financial products and services, with UN-Women's support
SP 3.9.3: Number of government entities, companies, and/or international organizations that develop and/or implement gender-responsive procurement policies, with UN-Women's support
SP 3.9.4: Number of national and international signatories to the Women Empowerment Principles
Number of policy briefs on gender considerations in the labour market and social protection policies
Number of institutions with strengthened capacities to improve the provision of essential services, goods and/or resources for women (CO)
Number of advocacy interventions aimed at influencing development of labor market and social protection policies from gender perspective
Number of women in the IT Super Girls network
Number of women and girls benefiting from mentorship activities
Number of IT companies with policies and implementation plans for promoting gender equality
Number of women accessing information, goods, resources and/or services through UNW supported platforms and programs in humanitarian and development settings (CO)
Number of women and girls benefiting from networking and mentorship programs and improved workplace standards
Number of IT companies with improved workplace standards
By 2025, people benefit from resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth ensured by the convergence of economic development and management of environment and cultural resources
The outcome was not achieved in 2022 and more effort is to be invested to secure that people benefit from resilient, inclusive, and sustainable growth ensured by the convergence of economic development and management of environment and cultural resources. However, throughout the year, progress was made regarding achieving this Outcome as a result of multiple interventions on women’s economic empowerment, improvement of government policies, access to finance and improved resilience of women entrepreneurs. In this regard, 250 women in tech-driven industries increased their capacities and skills through participation in different activities intended to secure their resilience through IT Girls and Enabling Women Artists Revenue through NFTs (EARN) projects. Of this number, 25 young women received mentorship in more than 20 different areas and are now fully capacitated to apply for internship/job opportunities in the tech sector. Additionally, 200 women artists raised their capacities in crypto-currencies and digital assets and are now capacitated to sell their arts into new, innovative and global digital market. As a result of the ‘business resilience development training program’ implemented during the reporting period, all 15 selected women business owners increased business performance by at least 50%. Over 66% of women entrepreneurs increased sales and 53% increased their revenue. These are the results reported at the time of completion of the program supporting women business owners by the implementing partner, Foundation 787. In addition, four women led businesses increased the number of employees compared to the baseline, while the remaining 11 kept the same level of employees or are planning to expand their team a few months after the end of the program. All 15 women business owners/ entrepreneurs improved their internal work and planning processes as well as gaining/increasing their knowledge in at least one business area either through online workshops or while working with consultants/mentors. All women increased their market visibility and brand recognition as all of them introduced or enhanced at least one brand component and/or improved their online positioning and brand storytelling through work with branding, copywriting and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts. In addition to the above, 13 out of 15 women entrepreneurs also saw an increase in media appearances (guest appearances on TV and radio shows, special articles and stories about their businesses etc.). UN Women continued its strategic partnerships with governmental institutions, financial institutions and private sector companies in assessing and building their capacities for more gender sensitive and gender inclusive policies and practices. 64 representatives from different government institutions improved their technical skills to diagnose, assess, and monitor the impact of economic growth, macroeconomic, and sector policies on women’s entrepreneurship and employment opportunities. In the longer-term, this will have a positive impact on the development of strategies, policies and/or action plans that will strengthen women`s economic empowerment. UN Women supported the development of a comprehensive gender equality assessment among financial institutions, based on which a capacity building plan for financial institutions was developed, which will shape the future tailor-made work with financial institutions. UN Women continued working on the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) agenda and developed anti-discrimination and harassment policies for private sector companies that are integrated into their strategic and operational functioning. This included developing a comprehensive list of GE financial and non-financial indicators proposed to illustrate outcomes of adopted WEPS actions plans and what changes could be expected once enabling indicator values are achieved, and also developed a introductory note on the methodological approach to the consumer needs and behavior assessment by gender, aiming to shed the light on the perspective benefits that companies could generate in case their services are tailored to the needs of their clients/consumers attributed by gender. Knowledge gap related to economic position of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina is filled with several key studies, such as a Baseline Study on the Care Economy, Feasibility Study on women-owned business access to finance, Assessment of strategic documents on women`s entrepreneurship and capacities for their implementation, and a gendered mapping of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in BiH. The focus on improving the capacities of governments to develop employment policies that enhance women's access to decent work and promote income security, on strengthening the capacities and resilience of women owned businesses and women entrepreneurs (which will in the upcoming period be focused on rural women) and on continuing to support the employment opportunities of women and girls in tech-driven industries remain valid in achieving the overall impact. Although still lacking verifiable data, there has been evidence that a sizeable number of rural women contribute to farming and agriculture through informal work. Further work on strengthening their capacities and economic agency, planned in 2023, will aim to address this issue. Similarly, supporting governments in piloting and defining more humane, gender-driven and inclusive care economy policies will contribute to formalizing care work and decreasing the time spent in unpaid care and domestic work.Disclaimer and notes
References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).