Many rural women in Bosnia and Herzegovina begin their day before dawn, balancing long hours on the farm with household chores, childcare, and community responsibilities. They are often the first to feel the effects of droughts, floods, or post-conflict rebuilding, managing family plots, livestock, and local economies, yet remain excluded from decision-making spaces and have limited access to training, technology, and financial services.
Recognizing these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) implemented the Women Driving Resilience in Agriculture and Rural Areas project, completed in November 2025. Funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and in partnership with national institutions and UN Women, the initiative aimed to promote gender-responsive, climate-resilient rural development in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project focused on forming and strengthening networking platforms for women in priority value chains, providing specialized training in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable production, and digital technologies, and enhancing the capacity of extension service providers to support women farmers.
The initiative aligns with the UN’s 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer, emphasizing the critical role women play in agrifood systems, from production to trade. FAO conducted a comprehensive gender-responsive assessment to identify priority value chains with potential for modernization, digitalization, and adoption of sustainable practices. This approach also addressed policy barriers and explored market-based solutions to enhance women’s financial inclusion, in line with broader EU strategies like the European Green Deal and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
A key component of the project was the establishment of Farmer Field Schools in nine municipalities across the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. These schools provided hands-on learning and practical training in sustainable and climate-smart agriculture. Networking platforms created spaces for women to share knowledge, exchange lessons learned, access new markets, and strengthen confidence as producers and entrepreneurs. These collective structures not only facilitated information exchange but also helped women generate solutions to longstanding challenges.
While the project achieved tangible benefits, long-term work remains to recognize women as farmers in their own right, ensure equitable access to resources, and continue shifting societal mindsets. FAO emphasizes that advancing gender equality requires sustained programs that respond to women’s needs, reinforce their visibility in agriculture, and provide opportunities historically available mostly to men. Experts and project consultants note that initiatives like this are critical for empowering women, unlocking their full potential, and ensuring their contributions to rural economies are recognized and supported.
